France’s convincing 2026 FIFA World Cup win against Morocco revealed a lot about how in-match play affects audience trends, and their knock-on effect on the advertising potential of major sports. The French side was threatening throughout as it marched to a 2-0 victory that included an early penalty miss and an eventual goal breaking the deadlock midway through the second half. A second goal just minutes later put France in control, allowing the team to see out the closing moments easily and continue its World Cup journey.

Throughout the tournament, Yospace has been collecting streaming and advertising data from 14 OTT rightsholders worldwide to understand how key moments influence streaming audiences and advertising opportunities. France’s victory demonstrated how momentum can shift even without a flurry of goals, keeping audiences engaged and creating valuable advertising opportunities throughout the match.

Early Drama Drives Audience Growth
Within the opening half-hour, France was awarded a penalty following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. Around three minutes passed before the kick was eventually taken, creating an unusually prolonged period of suspense as viewers waited to see if France would take the lead. To viewers’ surprise, France’s star player, Kylian Mbappé, missed the penalty. Rather than slowing audience growth, the delay resulted in a nearly 10% increase in viewership, with new viewers tuning in to see what would happen. This sharp increase came right before a hydration break, meaning an even larger audience reach for rightsholders that chose to serve ads here.

New to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hydration breaks are mandatory three-minute pauses taken midway through each half, creating space for an extra two-minute ad break previously unavailable to rightsholders. As you can see from the chart, the audience spike was timed particularly well for maximizing this new advertising opportunity, and dipped only slightly before quickly regaining momentum.

Morocco continued to challenge France ahead of halftime. Despite neither side making a breakthrough, a healthy stream of chances kept viewing figures high right up until the interval.

Second-Half Goals Produce the Biggest Advertising Opportunity
Halftime led to a temporary decline in viewership, as is typical of soccer matches. As play resumed, audiences quickly returned and continued to climb as the quarterfinal remained evenly poised at 0-0.

The breakthrough finally arrived midway through the second half. France’s first goal gave audience numbers a sharp boost, with many tuning in to catch the replay on mobile. A second goal just six minutes later boosted viewers again for the same reason, and effectively decided the contest.

The second-half hydration break followed immediately after France doubled its advantage. With audience numbers high after two quick goals, broadcasters were gifted the largest live audience of the match for an ad opportunity they previously wouldn’t have had.

Audience Declines as the Result Becomes Clear
France’s two quick goals midway through the second half proved to be the decisive period of the match. While audience numbers remained high immediately afterward, the second hydration break marked a clear turning point. Unlike other knockout matches analyzed during the tournament, where viewers returned quickly after this break as the result still hung in the balance, audience numbers continued to decline once play resumed.

The graph suggests many viewers felt France’s place in the semifinals was no longer in doubt. As the defending champions comfortably managed the closing stages and Morocco struggled to create a route back into the match, concurrency fell steadily towards the final whistle.

What This Means for Ad Tech
France’s victory shows that goals are not the only factors influencing streaming audiences. VAR reviews, missed chances and decisive scorelines can all influence viewer engagement.

Hydration breaks add another layer. Their timing depends on the referee rather than on a fixed schedule, meaning broadcasters need technology that responds immediately when advertising opportunities arise.

Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), supported by advanced prefetch, helps rightsholders maximize the value of these moments. By preparing ad requests shortly before each break, broadcasters give the advertising ecosystem more time to respond, allowing demand partners to compete without being overwhelmed by sudden traffic spikes. This improves technical fill rates and helps ensure every advertising opportunity is monetized seamlessly, regardless of when the biggest audience arrives.

France’s reward was a place in the World Cup semifinals, but for broadcasters the match demonstrated something equally important. No two matches will behave the same way, and it’s not always the goals that keep viewers engaged. Ad tech infrastructure must be able to handle this unpredictability at a moment’s notice and at scale to capture every last advertising opportunity on the table.

MIAMI—Building on the record ratings produced by its Spanish-language coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo continues to acquire more soccer rights with a major deal for U.S. Spanish-language rights to all UEFA men's club competitions.

The deal with UC3 gives it the exclusive Spanish-language media rights in the U.S. for all UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) men’s club competitions including the UEFA Champions League for three seasons, beginning with the 2027/28 season.

The deal also includes exclusive rights to the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Youth League.

The deal adds the UEFA Champions League to Telemundo's portfolio of premium sports programming including Premier League, Bundesliga, US Men’s and Women’s National teams, Liga MX clubs CD Guadalajara, FC Juárez, and Tigres UANL and Olympic soccer.

Under the agreement, Telemundo will deliver comprehensive live coverage of every UEFA Champions League season across its portfolio of broadcast, cable, streaming and digital platforms, including the Telemundo Network, Peacock, Universo and Telemundo Deportes Ahora, the company's dedicated FAST sports channel.

Telemundo's coverage will include every match of the competition, supported by comprehensive studio programming, expert analysis, original digital content and extensive match-day coverage designed specifically for U.S. Hispanic audiences.

Additional programming details and coverage plans for all UEFA men’s club competitions will be announced closer to the start of the 2027/28 season.

“The UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of club soccer tournaments, bringing together many of the world's greatest teams and players in one of the most prestigious competitions in sports," said Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, which includes NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises Group, NBC News, NBC News NOW and NBCUniversal Local. "We are delighted to partner with UC3 to bring the excitement, passion and drama of the UEFA men’s club competitions to Spanish-speaking fans across the United States. Telemundo's commitment to excellence and its deep connection with soccer audiences make it an outstanding home for the UEFA Champions League."

In announcing the deal, Aleksander Čeferin, UEFA president and chair of the UC3 Board, said that “UEFA club competitions represent the very highest level of club football, and their popularity continues to grow globally. This agreement with Telemundo reflects both the strength of our competitions and the passion of Spanish-speaking fans in the United States. We look forward to working together to deliver unforgettable moments and bringing the drama, excitement and excellence of European football to millions of viewers over the next cycle.”

UC3 unites European football’s governing body UEFA and European Football Clubs (EFC) and represents more than 800 top European clubs in rights negotiations.

"Coming off the unprecedented success of Telemundo’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026, we are excited to dedicate our expertise and resources to present the very highest level of club soccer tournaments to millions of passionate fans across the United States," said Luis Fernandez, Chairman, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. "We are ready to deliver the best world-class experience for all US Hispanics through the full power of Telemundo’s broadcast, cable, streaming and digital platforms."

MIAMI—Telemundo and Peacock continue to report record-setting audiences for FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, with the USA vs. Turkey match ranking the most-watched U.S. Men’s National Team (USMNT) FIFA World Cup match in Spanish-language history. The match attracted 7.4 million viewers in total audience delivery (TAD).

The June 25 match was also +111% greater than the USA’s final Group Stage match in the 2022 tournament (3.5 million TAD) vs. Iran.

With this match, Telemundo and Peacock have now seen three of most-watched USMNT FIFA World Cup matches in Spanish-language history with USA vs. Paraguay delivering a 7.0 million TAD on June 12th and USA vs. Australia delivering 6.8 million TAD on June 19th. Over its three Group Stage matches this year, the USA delivered an average 7.1 million TAD, up +83% over its average Group Stage TAD in 2022 (3.9 million).

In addition, the Ecuador vs. Germany match on June 25th delivered a 4.1 million TAD, becoming the third most-watched Ecuador FIFA World Cup™ match in Spanish-language history, behind the June 14th match vs. Ivory Coast (6.8 million TAD,) and the June 20th match vs. Curaçao (6.0 million TAD). Thursday’s match also delivered +120% growth vs. Ecuador’s final Group Stage match in 2022 (1.9 million TAD) vs. Senegal. Ecuador’s 2026 Group Stage performance averaged 5.7 million TAD, up +90% vs. the average from its Group Stage in 2022 (3.0 million TAD).

Meanwhile, Japan vs. Sweden delivered a 4.7 million TAD, an increase of +104% vs. Japan’s final Group Stage match in 2022 (2.3 million TAD) vs. Spain, while its 2026 Group Stage matches averaged a 4.6 million TAD, surging +230% vs. 2022 (1.4 million TAD).

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup moved into the 32-team knockout stage, Fox Sports said viewer interest in the tournament is still strong.

Fox’s June 19 coverage of four matches set an English-language record for the largest full-day audience of men’s World Cup coverage in the U.S., the network said.

The United States-Australia match attracted 16.217 million viewers, making it the second-most-watched English-language group stage telecast in the U.S. ever, followed by 9.174 million average viewers (10.548 million peak viewers) for Scotland-Mexico.

The day also saw 8.741 million viewers (9.894 million peak viewers) for Brazil-Haiti and 2.752 million viewers (3.157 million peak viewers) for Turkey-Paraguay.

Team USA’s 2-0 defeat of Australia had a peak audience of 21.219 million and was the top-rated Friday-afternoon telecast on broadcast TV since Fox’s Christmas Day Minnesota Vikings-New Orleans Saints NFL telecast in 2020.

It was also the second-most-watched U.S. men’s national team game since the U.S.-Paraguay group-stage World Cup match on June 12.

In Australia, the patch bay is called a tail board. In the United Kingdom, the engineer responsible for matching cameras is often called a “racker” rather than a shader.

At the FIFA World Cup, those differences disappear remarkably fast.

The world’s largest sporting event brings together hundreds of broadcast professionals from different countries, cultures and technical traditions. Within days, engineers from Australia, England, the United States and beyond must operate as a single crew delivering one of the most recognizable sounds in sports.

They arrive speaking slightly different technical languages. The same piece of equipment or role can have multiple names. Yet by kickoff, those differences largely vanish. The audience hears one broadcast, not the dozens of production cultures working behind it.

What viewers remember is the roar after a goal, the tension before a penalty kick, the swell of a national anthem and the eruption of a stadium after a dramatic winner. They remember how the World Cup feels. Audio is a major part of that feeling.

Australian broadcast veteran Tim Stapleton, audio guarantee for Host Broadcast Services (HBS) in Kansas City, is one of the people responsible for creating that experience. A veteran of UFC, cricket, combat sports in the Middle East and the recent Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, this is his first World Cup. The scale stood out immediately.

"The World Cup is unique because of the sheer number of moving parts," he said.

Big Event, Big Undertaking
Commentary facilities are handled by a completely separate company, with 10 dedicated booths inside the stadium. Outside, the production compound fills a parking lot with mobile rack rooms and support units from multiple vendors.

The biggest difference from a normal match is the atmosphere. “The crowd makes it sound like a magical moment, not a regular weekly game,” Stapleton said. “You can tell it is something special.”

HBS deploys a standardized audio plan across all venues while adapting to each stadium's characteristics. In Kansas City, the bowl design allows crowd noise to rise naturally, giving the mix team exceptionally clean audience capture.

Capturing that atmosphere requires far more than the standard soccer microphone package. The foundation remains familiar: pitch microphones positioned around the field to capture ball strikes, player movement and referee whistles, along with microphones mounted on cameras to follow the action.

Beyond that foundation, the World Cup expands significantly. Additional crowd microphones and immersive audio arrays are deployed throughout the venue to capture the atmosphere that defines the tournament. In Kansas City, ambient microphone arrays are positioned on the roof, camera deck, and pitch level, allowing the team to capture everything within the roar of the stadium.

The goal isn't simply to make the crowd louder. It's to make viewers feel present.

GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (or, FIFA is calling it during the tournament, Kansas City Stadium) presents a unique advantage in that regard. Stapleton noted that the stadium's bowl design allows crowd noise to rise naturally through the venue, creating excellent opportunities to capture clean audience reaction.

A Mix That Tells a Story
For Stapleton, however, the technical design is only part of the equation. His approach to mixing is rooted in storytelling. Rather than simply balancing levels, he actively follows the action around the field, searching for sounds that draw viewers deeper into the match. The crowd remains a constant emotional foundation while individual moments are allowed to breathe naturally. "You're telling a story," he said.

Goals are allowed to build organically rather than exaggerated artificially. As the action moves around the field, microphones mounted on handheld cameras, Steadicams and other mobile systems help bring viewers closer to the moments they are seeing on screen. There is even a microphone mounted on the referee, though it is only used during specific review situations.

The Lionel Messi hat trick in Kansas City was a perfect example. “The reaction inside the stadium was immediate and overwhelming,” Stapleton said. Moments like that are exactly why so much effort is placed on crowd capture. The goal isn't simply to hear the reaction; it's to transport viewers into the stadium and allow them to experience the emotion of the moment alongside the fans in attendance.

The technology behind those moments may be sophisticated, but for many of the visiting engineers, the most memorable part of the World Cup has been adapting to life in the United States.

For Felix Harris, an HBS A2 from London with extensive Premier League and Club World Cup experience, the technical approach feels familiar, just on a larger scale. American stadiums, compounds, and travel distances are noticeably bigger than what he's accustomed to in the U.K.

"It's really tomato-tomah-to as far as nomenclature goes," Harris said. "But it's definitely a bit more." A lot more.

Andrew Lilley, another U.K.-based HBS A2, pointed to one practical difference: U.K. vehicle-length restrictions limit how much equipment can fit in a mobile unit. American trucks simply have more room, allowing for larger technical footprints and expanded microphone deployments. “A good tech sheet keeps everyone on the same page,” Lilley said.

Teamwork Comes Quickly
While terminology and workflows may vary, crews quickly find common ground. According to Stapleton, the real key to building a successful crew has nothing to do with technology.

“The first few days are essential,” he said. Crews learn each other’s strengths. They figure out how people communicate. They discover who works best in which roles. Shared meals, a drink after work and long production days help transform a group of strangers into a functioning team. “You spend so much time together that you become a family.”

Harris described the welcome from U.S. crews as warm and accommodating. Lilley joked about adjusting to the food, the lack of public transportation and a level of humidity that felt different from anything he experiences at home. “You do not do green vegetables in the States,” he joked. “And everything is on a bun.”

Stapleton has been impressed by Kansas City itself. “The best part is the locals,” he said. "Everyone has been friendly and willing to help.”

By kickoff, the terminology has been sorted out. The accents have become familiar. The workflows have aligned. Engineers who arrived from different continents are now focused on a single objective, helping billions of viewers feel connected to a match happening thousands of miles away.

Shared meals, long production days and countless hours spent solving problems together have transformed a group of strangers into a crew. The microphones, trucks and technology make that possible. The people make it memorable.

Together, they create the sound of the World Cup.

Google TV has announced new features that will make it easier for soccer fans to access games and information about the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Separately, Google TV is also making upgrades that will allow user to adjust the picture and sound settings on select TCL TV models using Gemini voice commands.

In terms of soccer, the improvements allow Google TV users to watch and track games from soccer’s biggest global tournament directly from the Sports topic page on Google TV. Viewers can now straight to the Sports topic page to find live games, upcoming schedules, and highlights from apps like Fox One, Tubi, and YouTube TV.

More specifically, the page offers viewers who want to watch a live match, check recent results, or see tomorrow's lineup, such content as:

• Live matches: Jump directly into currently airing matches.
• Upcoming matches Visit the “Upcoming Games” row to view match dates, kickoff times, and schedules.
• Match highlights: Watch highlights and game summaries on YouTube if you missed a live broadcast.
• Post game content : View expert commentary, team analysis, and post-match breakdowns.

Google TV has also rolled out features that will allow viewers to use voice commands to adjust picture and sound settings, troubleshoot audio or visual issues, and open settings menus on select Gemini-enabled TCL Google TVs.

The upgrade for owners of those TVs means that they will no longer have to dig through settings menus to optimize their viewing experience. Now they can just press and hold the microphone button on your remote (or say "Hey Google") to chat with Gemini and get the help you need.

Examples of the prompts that can be used include:

• Adjust audio & video settings: Change common settings like brightness, contrast, picture, volume, and sound modes³. For example, ask Gemini to “Set picture mode to Sport” or “Increase the bass.”
• Troubleshoot picture & sound issues: Describe what you're experiencing, and Gemini will adjust the settings to fix it. Try saying, “The screen is too dark” or “I can't hear the dialogue clearly.”
• Optimize settings for your content: Tune settings for what you're watching. You can say, “It’s movie night—help make this feel like a cinematic experience.”
• Find settings menus: Go directly to the menu you want without clicking through multiple screens. Just say, “Open display settings.”

The TCL system update that enables these functionalities will be rolling out over the next few weeks to the following TCL models within the U.S.: QM9K, X11L, QM8L, and RM9L. Users can check for available system updates on their TCL Google TV by navigating to Settings > System > About > System update.

FIFA+ will launch exclusively on DAZN, bringing the FAST channel to hundreds of millions of soccer fans, soccer’s global governing body and the streaming service said.

FIFA+ on DAZN will feature some 8,500 live matches per year from around 100 FIFA member associations, alongside original programming and archive content.

“The integration of FIFA+ into DAZN represents a key milestone in our ambition to make football truly global and accessible,” Mattias Grafström, FIFA secretary general, said. “Following the successful collaboration at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, we are now taking the next steps in building the Global Home of Football, bringing together competitions, content and storytelling on a single platform while creating new opportunities for our FIFA Member Associations to grow their audiences worldwide.”

The move creates a single global destination for thousands of FIFA-related live events, archival content and original programming. This new service brings FIFA’s extensive portfolio of global soccer content together with DAZN’s portfolio of soccer rights from the top leagues and competitions around the world.

In addition to around 8,500 live events in selected territories annually, the offering includes content from FIFA member associations, extensive data and select archive content from past FIFA tournaments, including the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup, with fans able to watch full match replays, highlights, goals, collections, plus curated content that uses unseen angles and historic footage.

In addition, the 2026 offering includes the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland, the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Morocco, the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in certain territories.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast’s Xfinity has announced expansive plans for its FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage that will provide Xfinity X1 TV subscribers with access to RealTime 4K feeds of all 104 games with Dolby Vision and Atmos, along with a host of features like Multiview, Fan View, AI-powered highlights that will make it easier to find, access, interact and watch the games.

In parallel, Xfinity also announced that it is launching Fox One on Xfinity Xumo Stream Box, giving Xfinity Internet customers access to every match in English alongside Peacock’s Spanish-language coverage.

“We’ve been on a deliberate journey to reimagine how fans experience sports in the home, rolling out new capabilities that make watching more immersive, intuitive and aligned with how fans engage today,” Comcast Vice President, Sports and Entertainment Vito Forlenza said. “The World Cup is the latest example of how Xfinity combines premium picture quality, low-latency streaming and interactive features to create a truly standout sports viewing experience, powered by our most intelligent and reliable Wi-Fi.”

The launch builds on efforts by Comcast to improve the live viewing experience for recent high profile events like the Olympics, NFL, the Super Bowl and NBC’s NBA coverage where the operator rolled out higher resolution video formats and features like Multiview, Fan View and AI-powered highlights.

It also comes at a time when consumers are increasingly frustrated by the difficulty of finding content, particularly sporting events, that are airing on a variety of different streaming platforms and Comcast is facing growing competition from mobile providers for broadband subs and pay TV subs.

That makes the new features an important test case in the operator’s efforts to convince consumers that its high-capacity networks can offer a host of features—such as low-latency 4K video and seamless access to both streaming and pay TV content without switching apps—that can’t be matched by competitors.

“The coverage shows we have the technical capabilities, we have the devices, we have the network, we have the wherewithal to provide the best sports experience in the market,” Forlenza said in an interview. “Our FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage is really the visual articulation of the value that we're bringing to our customers.”

As part of the coverage, the operator has created World Soccer Hub. Xfinity TV customers can simply say “World Cup” or “Copa Mundial” into the Xfinity Voice Remote to launch the hub, an aggregated, bicultural tournament destination that brings all live and on demand coverage from across networks and streaming services into one simple, seamless experience. The destination also provides quick access to Xfinity’s most advanced sports viewing features.

Comcast described the other notable features available for its World Cup coverage as follows:

• The fastest stream, sharpest picture and best audio with RealTime4K: All 104 matches from Fox and FS1, plus a match of the day from Telemundo will be available in Xfinity’s new RealTime4K technology. Delivered to the home over Xfinity’s superior network just seconds behind the action on the pitch, RealTime4K offers stunning contrasts, brilliant colors and lifelike detail with Dolby Vision and an immersive audio experience with Dolby Atmos.
• Never miss a moment with Create Your Own Multiview: Fans can watch up to four live events at once, selecting from World Cup matches and other simultaneously airing events to build a customized Multiview experience.
• Discover while watching with Fan View: A personalized, interactive companion experience, Fan View gives viewers an easy way to discover and immerse themselves in all the tournament action, without taking their eyes off the big screen. Customers can select their favorite countries to create a tailored viewing experience centered around the action that matters most to them, or browse the latest scores, stats, standings, and odds from across the tournament. Fan View also serves as the launchpad for Xfinity Clips, a new short-form video experience that makes it easy to watch highlights, features and key moments in a format inspired by the simplicity of leading social media platforms.
• Record and catch up quickly with AI Highlights: Available on DVR recordings of Fox’s and Telemundo’s game coverage, AI highlights automatically tag key moments like goals, penalty kicks, and amazing saves so fans can quickly catch up on the biggest action of the day.
• Take the tournament to go with Xfinity Stream and Xfinity Mobile: With the Xfinity Stream app, customers can watch live World Cup matches and coverage wherever they are. And with Xfinity Mobile, they can tap into Xfinity WiFi’s more than 23 million hotspots to get speeds up to 1 Gbps and stay connected to every moment on the go.

The FIFA World Cup also marks the launch of Fox One, the official English-language streaming platform of FIFA World Cup 2026, on Xfinity Xumo Stream Box, expanding how Xfinity Internet customers can watch the tournament.

With Fox One now available, streamers can watch every World Cup match in English alongside Spanish-language coverage via Peacock, bringing the entire tournament together in one streamlined, voice enabled experience.

The company also stressed that this coverage is part of its ongoing push to improve the viewing experience for sports fans that will impact its future coverage of the NFL, NBA and other sports.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 also builds on Xfinity’s broader commitment to the global game. Beyond the tournament, Xfinity serves as a year-round destination for soccer, aggregating top European leagues, Latin American competitions, international tournaments, and domestic club matches into a single viewing experience.

It also offers World Soccer Ticket, a video package custom-built for soccer fans that includes nearly 60 channels and Peacock Premium, customers can enjoy more than 1,500 matches from the world’s top leagues, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Major League Soccer, LALIGA, Liga MX, the FIFA World Cup, and more, all in one place.

DALLAS—FIFA has opened the International Broadcast Center (IBC) for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailing the facility as "the most technologically advanced and top of the art international broadcast center that the world has ever seen."

The facility will serve as the global broadcast operations center for 180 broadcasters covering the tournament set to take place across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the USA from June 11 to July 19 2026.

It is the second time that Dallas has been designated this prestigious function, having also hosted the IBC during the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA.

"It's absolutely incredible to be here in Dallas at this fantastic International Broadcast Centre – it's getting better and better," said Infantino. "There's more and more technology, AI power, people, experts. It's incredible to see how much work, how much passion, how much expertise, how much high-level technological input there is to bring the FIFA World Cup to billions of fans all over the world.

Addressing some of the 2,000 broadcast media representatives who will be based at the facility, he also said stressed that "not everyone can travel to the United States or in the past to other countries to witness the FIFA World Cup, but everyone can see it back from home thanks to the IBC and thanks to the broadcasters," he said.

At the opening, Dallas Mayor Eric L. Johnson said that the city, which will host nine FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, had made targeted investments to support the operation and the thousands of international visitors.

"Having toured the operations here myself a few days ago, I can attest to the cutting-edge technology, including AI and innovation, that will be transforming this facility into a world-class media hub," Johnson said, according to a blog post posted by FIFA describing the opening.

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center was selected as the IBC for FIFA World Cup 2026 in part because of its central location across the three-nation tournament footprint, making Dallas the ideal hub for a broadcast operation spanning Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The facility spans 45,000 square meters (485,000 square feet) and will serve as headquarters for FIFA's host broadcaster and Host Broadcast Services (HBS), all FIFA Media Partners, FIFA's Video Content Production Department, FIFA's Football Technology and Innovation Department as well as housing the video assistant referee (VAR) room, the post noted.

"Four years ago, when we opened up the IBC in Qatar, our President was challenging us….and saying: 'We need to continue to push the bar as high as we can in order to remain a reference for everybody in the world in how we can deliver high-quality, our competences to all our broadcasters, to our partners,’” said Romy Gai, FIFA's chief business officer. “And I am happy to say today that what you can see all around us is the result of capitalizing on all our experience from the past, trying to improve and to do more in order to better serve our 180 broadcasters from all around the world."

HBS has delivered broadcast services for the six most recent editions of the FIFA World Cup, and broadcaster infrastructure is fully integrated into FIFA's stadium projects, covering camera positions, interview positions, the mixed zone, studios, media tribune, broadcast compound and press conference rooms.

In a blog post, FIFA said that a key pillar of the IBC's operation is the partnership between FIFA and Lenovo, FIFA's Official Technology Partner, which is providing complete IT solutions across the FIFA World Cup 2026 ecosystem.

Lenovo is deploying servers at the IBC in Dallas to deliver the computing power, devices and AI-driven solutions needed to bring every moment of every match to global audiences. More than 17,000 Lenovo and Motorola devices are deployed across venues and Team Base Camp training sites, supported by over 200 Lenovo engineers across all venues.

Lenovo ThinkSystem SR635 V3 servers manage massive volumes of live video data from stadiums across North America, powering FIFA's IPTV live feed via ten channels to over 1,000 screens at all FIFA venues. Lenovo's technology has also reduced latency within FIFA's IPTV infrastructure to under five seconds, enabling near real-time access to live match action.

As FIFA’s official technology partner, Lenovo has deployed servers and other solutions at the International Broadcast Center in Dallas to support the most expansive broadcast operation in FIFA World Cup history.

The deployment is part of Lenovo’s larger push to expand its sports technology investments. In March, it launched a dedicated sports vertical designed to support organizations operating live, global and mission-critical environments. By integrating AI infrastructure, edge computing, devices, and services into a unified model, Lenovo said it aims to help sports organizations shift from fragmented systems to real-time, end-to-end operational control.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will also showcase Lenovo’s real-world AI advances in sports production, the company said. Lenovo products will manage complex on-premise edge computing, the company said, significantly reducing latency in cases where cloud-only solutions failed to meet broadcast requirements.

FIFA's Gai also highlighted two specific AI-powered innovations that will enhance the broadcast experience at FIFA World Cup 2026.

The first is AI-enabled 3D player avatars, which represent a major development in semi-automated offside technology. Players will be digitally scanned on arrival – a process that takes approximately one second per player – to create precise 3D models that capture highly accurate body-part dimensions. These models will be incorporated into the host broadcast, enabling offside decisions determined by the VAR system to be displayed more realistically and in a more engaging way for fans both in stadiums and watching at home around the world, the blog post explained.

The second innovation is a stabilized referee view. Building on a successful trial at the FIFA Club World Cup™ in 2025, AI-powered stabilization software will smooth footage captured from the referee's camera in real time, reducing motion blur caused by rapid movement. The footage will deliver a higher-quality, first-person perspective for audiences, enhancing transparency, understanding and engagement throughout matches, he reported.

"Thanks to AI, we've introduced some innovations that will be highlighted through the broadcaster for the fans," Gai said. "These are just a couple of examples. We will have more to say, more to tell."

NEW YORK—CBS Sports has announced that Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women’s Super League matches through the 2029-2030 season.

Beginning with coverage in September 2026, Paramount+ will live stream 183 matches each season, the most matches in the newly expanded competition’s history. CBS Sports Network will air one match per week with select matches also airing on CBS Sports Golazo Network.

In addition to CBS Sports’ coverage of live matches, CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide Barclays Women’s Super League coverage on its dedicated women’s soccer show “Attacking Third”, alongside its other studio programming “Morning Footy”, “Golazo Matchday” and “Scoreline”.

With the addition of England’s top women’s league, CBS Sports bolsters its women’s soccer rights across CBS, Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Those rights now include the NWSL, UEFA Women’s Champions League, Concacaf W Champions Cup, Concacaf W Gold Cup, Concacaf W Championship, Concacaf W Nations League, Serie A Femminile and select UEFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers.

The deal was negotiated by WSL Football’s international media rights representative, IMG.

LOS ANGELES—Fox Sports, America's English-language home for the FIFA World Cup 2026, and Fox Corporation have announced community impact initiatives leading up to the tournament that include a $500,000 commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).

The investment expands Fox Sports' dedication to growing access to soccer for youth and is part of a broader, multi-year community impact platform collaboration with BGCA and nonprofit organization, Common Goal, designed to create lasting opportunities for young people through soccer across the United States, the company reported.

"As Fox Sports prepares to present the largest FIFA World Cup in history, we have a unique opportunity to ensure the tournament's legacy is measured not only by unforgettable moments on the pitch, but by the lasting impact it creates in communities nationwide," said Eric Shanks, CEO and executive producer, Fox Sports. "We are honored to support the efforts of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Common Goal, U.S. Soccer Foundation and others to expand access to soccer and create opportunities for the next generation both on and off the field."

The $500,000 investment will support youth soccer programming offered by BGCA, expanding access to the sport and creating new opportunities for young athletes nationwide. The legacy commitment is expected to engage more than 26,000 new youth across the country, while helping to train coaches and create job opportunities for Club teens as referees. The donation also enables local clubs nationwide to host Soccer Forward Fests, community-based events designed by U.S. Soccer to celebrate and deepen engagement in the sport.

"Soccer can open up new opportunities for youth and this collaboration with Fox Sports will allow us to support young athletes across the country," said Jim Clark, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "This monumental donation will allow us to uplevel our support for players, coaches, referees and more, contributing to their success on and off the soccer field."

Building on its efforts from FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, Fox Sports is expanding its community initiatives ahead of the 2026 tournament through such organizations as Common Goal, U.S. Soccer Foundation, and its own long running Fox Sports University program.

The company said that these combined efforts will increase access to the game, support mental health and create pathways for the next generation of players and professionals.

Fox Sports also noted that it is the only national broadcaster to take Common Goal's 1% pledge, committing one percent of its tournament coverage since 2022 to tell the story of soccer for social good across its platforms.

Together with Common Goal, Fox Sports will continue using the power of soccer to drive positive social impact through initiatives focused on inclusion, well-being and access to the game. This includes the company's commitment to the next chapter of "Create the Space," the mental health initiative led by Common Goal and launched in 2023 together with U.S. Women's National Team defender Naomi Girma and Fox Sports and Fox Corporation during the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023. The initiative delivers youth-focused mental wellness training programs to soccer-based youth organizations across North America and the Caribbean, equipping the next generation with the tools to thrive both on and off the field.

"I'm proud of the work we've been able to accomplish at Common Goal to bring more awareness around how mental health impacts athletes. This support from Fox Sports and Fox Corporation allows us to make even stronger and more meaningful impact and change for good," said Girma.

NEW YORK—Major League Soccer (MLS) has announced the 2026 list of companies that will be participating in its MLS Innovation Lab.

The initiative, which is focused on identifying, deploying and scaling the next generation of sports technology and is now in its third year, brings together leading startups from around the world to actively test and prove cutting-edge solutions in three areas of focus: player performance, fan engagement, and media production.

This year's cohort is focused on testing AI solutions that league said are pushing the boundaries of how soccer is played, analyzed, and experienced.

"With each new cohort, MLS Innovation Lab continues to surface technologies that have the potential to meaningfully impact how the game is played, experienced, and consumed," said Chris Schlosser, MLS senior vice president of Emerging Ventures. "This group represents a strong mix of real-world AI technologies that can have immediate impact across athlete performance, television production, and fan-focused innovation, and we look forward to working with each of them to drive important outcomes for our players, fans and Clubs."

The MLS Innovation Lab aims to give participating companies the opportunity to build and test their technologies in real-world MLS environments such as the 2026 MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime, as well as elite youth competitions like MLS NEXT Fest and Generation adidas Cup and premier events including MLS NEXT Cup and the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate.

This real-world testing gives MLS an early look at emerging AI technologies that can shape the future of the industry for years to come.

After a competitive global selection process, the five companies chosen for the third MLS Innovation Lab cohort will deploy solutions designed to address real challenges across the soccer ecosystem. The league described the companies as follows:

• Springbok Analytics: Springbok Analytics uses AI to transform MRI data into detailed 3D muscle analytics, enabling the precise tracking of muscle health, performance, and injury risk which supports data-driven decision-making for teams, leagues, and clinical research.
• Orreco: Orreco is a global leader in sports bio-analytics, using AI, computer vision, and biomarker data to optimize athlete performance, predict injury risk, and accelerate recovery, trusted by elite teams and athletes across major leagues worldwide.
• Fit:match: Fit:match.ai is a player identification and assessment platform that uses mobile devices, AI, and computer vision to capture detailed body data. It generates a full 3D avatar with measurable physical insights in seconds, providing clubs with standardized information to support talent evaluation, inform development decisions, and enable more consistent comparisons across players.
• Advanced Image Robotics (AIR): AIR makes broadcast-grade sports video production radically more accessible. Their AI-powered robotic camera systems combine automated tracking with remote operator control — enabling leagues, teams, and broadcasters to capture dynamic game and player footage at a fraction of the cost and complexity of traditional production.
• WMT AI Ticketing: WMT AI Ticketing optimizes pricing and distribution in real time by analyzing fan behavior, demand and market dynamics. These capabilities help sports and entertainment organizations move beyond static pricing, maximize ticket revenue and make faster, data-driven decisions.

For more information on MLS Innovation Lab, or to be considered for future cohorts, visit MLSSoccer.com/InnovationLab.

WUPPERTAL, Germany—Riedel Communications announced that Argentina’s Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA) has renewed and expanded its centralized video assistant referee (VAR) system for another five years.

Operated by Torneos and powered by Riedel’s SimplyLive technology, the system debuted in 2021 as Latin America’s first centralized VAR deployment and continues to set the standard for efficiency and scalability across one of the world’s top football federations.

Located at AFA’s state-of-the-art replay center near Buenos Aires, the system features five video operation rooms (VORs) and eight OB vans, enabling up to five simultaneous matches and supporting 12-14 games per weekend – around 400+ matches annually. This centralized approach reduces travel costs, improves working conditions for referees, and ensures consistent, high-quality officiating across Argentina’s vast geography.

“Riedel’s SimplyLive solution gives us flexibility, redundancy, and ease of use,” said Ramiro Prado, director of technology at Torneos. “Our referees appreciate the intuitive touch-screen interface, and the system’s ability to handle high-tier games with supermo cameras and additional feeds ensures we’re ready for any challenge.”

The system includes 15 SimplyLive 16-channel HD servers, configured for redundancy and scalability, with two additional servers added during the renewal to support larger matches that scale to more than 32 ingest channels for standard and high-frame-rate cameras.

It also incorporates Simplylive RefBox and replay capabilities for broadcast workflows. Each VOR and server room is fully redundant, ensuring uninterrupted operation during peak demand.

The solution supports NDI and SRT delivery methods for seamless integration with production workflows, while Riedel’s intercom technology provides clear, low-latency communication between referees, replay operators, and production teams.

The project adheres to FIFA certification requirements, which mandate rigorous testing and annual compliance checks to maintain operational standards. Referee training began with simulators (Mini8 units) before full deployment, ensuring a smooth transition and system reliability.

“This renewal by one of the world’s top football federations underscores the trust placed in our technology,” said Andrew Grant, Sales Manager Live Production, East, at Riedel Communications. “Together with SimplyLive, we’ve built a centralized VAR infrastructure that meets FIFA standards while delivering tangible benefits – from reduced travel costs and improved quality of life for referees to consistent, high-quality officiating across Argentina.”

See Riedel at the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas (April 19–22) at booth #C4908.

For more information on Riedel Communications, go to www.riedel.net.

MIAMI—With 100 days to go until the kickoff of FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 11, 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the U.S., says its coverage of the world’s largest sporting event, “will be the most ambitious World Cup presentation ever in broadcast television, regardless of language,” according to Joaquin Duro, executive vice president of Sports and Head of Streaming for Telemundo

Telemundo will have a fully live on-site presence at all 104 matches at stadiums across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, coupled with dedicated daily shows and what it terms "an unprecedented" streaming and digital footprint. The network celebrated the key milestone with the release of its official World Cup song “Somos Más” and the launch of a new phase of its marketing campaign on the road to the World Cup.

“With over 700 hours of coverage, including over 90 games on our broadcast network and extensive sports content across our daily shows, FAST channel and app, we are delivering the most comprehensive Spanish-language World Cup experience ever produced in America,” Duro added.

Of those 700 hours of coverage, 104 of the matches during the World Cup, June 11 to July 19, 2026 will be broadcast live, with 92 airing free over-the-air on Telemundo and 12 on Universo. Every match will stream live on Peacock (Premium and Premium Plus subscribers) and the Telemundo App.

Coverage across all screens will prioritize key moments, including all U.S. Men’s National Team and Mexico National Team matches, the Opening Match, July 4 programming from the New York/New Jersey host cities, and the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final, with extended pre- and postgame coverage delivering deeper storytelling, analysis and cultural context—especially surrounding the championship match, according to the network.

Telemundo Center, the company’s state-of-the-art headquarters in Miami, will serve as the heartbeat of the network’s production operation, complementing its presence across host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Studio programming will feature live analysis, debate, pregame, halftime and postgame shows, and original content dedicated entirely to the tournament.

Comprehensive shoulder programming will surround every stage of the tournament across Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes Ahora, and Telemundo Deportes’ digital and social platforms.

Sports fans can also watch the Telemundo Deportes Ahora FAST Channel on Peacock, Xumo, Roku, Prime Video, TCL, Google TV, Comcast, the NBC News FAST hub, and Telemundo.com, with more to come, the network said.

Coverage will also be available on @TelemundoDeportes social accounts like TikTok, YouTube, X and more.

Telemundo has also unveiled the next stage of its publicity campaign with “Y Tú, ¿Con Quién Lo Vas a Ver?,” debuting two promotional spots that spotlight the traditions, emotions and shared rituals of the event.

CHESEAUX-SUR-LAUSANNE, Switzerland and PHOENIX—Nagravision has struck a deal with the English Football League (EFL) to use Nagra Streaming Security help detect, disrupt and deter piracy of its match telecasts in the 2025-26 season.

The EFL will use the security solution’s dynamic monitoring to quantify the scale of piracy threats against its live sports content. The solution’s anti-piracy intelligence capability will also let the EFL, which operates the three tiers of English professional soccer just below the top-flight Premier League, measure the impact of takedown and enforcement activities and provide an overview of pirate activities targeting its content, Kudelski Group-owned Nagravision said.

“Nagravision’s dynamic, real-time monitoring is an effective and important part of our work to protect our content, clubs and their supporters,” Russell Byrne, EFL head of broadcast operations, said. “The level of information available to us means we can better monitor, identify and take down illegal streams as they appear across various platforms and ensure that we are providing the best possible experience to those that pay for legitimate services.”

The company’s streaming security solution is designed to provide a holistic view of pirate activity across content rightsholders’ portfolios through AI-enabled insights. Based on a 30-year history of global pirate activity, the solution provides clear information designed to directly address the business goals of rightsholders, including revenue protection, brand integrity and compliance management and licensing, the company said.

“Nagravision is a long-time advocate of the need to protect the integrity of the content ecosystem for sports rightsholders and works across the industry to achieve this,” Morten Solbakken, Nagravision executive vice president and chief operating officer, said. “Our advanced anti-piracy monitoring and enforcement solutions empower rightsholders, such as the English Football League, to combat illegal streaming and safeguard their revenues, ensuring true fans enjoy content securely and legally.”

Nagra Streaming Security delivers end-to-end protection against content theft and content restreaming. The solution safeguards revenues and combats illegal streaming by leveraging technologies like advanced multi-DRM, forensic watermarking and real-time anti-piracy monitoring and enforcement.

More information is available on the company’s website.

Scripps Sports has announced two new media rights deals that will give it broadcast rights to the inaugural Pro Cheer League season to viewers across the United States and exclusive local broadcast rights to Denver Summit FC, the National Women’s Soccer League’s newest franchise, which will begin playing in 2026.

Under the multiyear agreement with the Denver Summit FC, The E.W. Scripps Company will air all non-nationally exclusive matches on its local stations Denver7 (KMGH-TV) and The Spot Denver 3 (KCDO-TV).

“From the national stage to the heart of Denver, Scripps Sports is proud to expand our successful NWSL partnership by becoming the local TV home to Summit FC in its inaugural season,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. “This collaboration will connect Denver’s passionate soccer community to their new team while showcasing the exceptional talent that defines women’s professional soccer.”

The deal builds on Scripps Sports’ existing NWSL national partnership, where ION broadcasts premier Saturday evening double-headers throughout the league’s regular season.

It also reinforces the company’s commitment to women’s professional sports, including national coverage of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), Major League Volleyball (MLV), ATHLOS track and field, and the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off college basketball tournament. Scripps Sports is also the local television partner for the WNBA Champion Las Vegas Aces.

Separately, Varsity Spirit – a division of Varsity Brands and a global leader in cheerleading – has reached an exclusive broadcast agreement with Scripps Sports to deliver live coverage of the inaugural Pro Cheer League season to viewers across the United States.

Under the multi-year agreement, ION, Scripps’ national sports and entertainment network that reaches every U.S. TV household over-the-air and on all major pay TV and connected TV/FAST services, will air all five live Pro Cheer League events during the 2026 season, which runs from January 16 to March 27, 2026.

“We’ve been rapidly expanding our robust portfolio of professional sports and we’re thrilled to welcome the Pro Cheer League to ION,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports. “We look forward to showcasing these world-class athletes in a new professional sports league, combining the high-energy of cheerleading and engaging storytelling that will leave everyone wanting more.”

LONDON—Vizrt has announced that it is providing automation technologies for live sports production to the Viaplay streaming service that are being used to cover Premier League action and soccer matches.

For this year’s soccer season, Viaplay’s goals were to simultaneously increase content output and improve show quality and consistency, while ensuring scalable workflows, the two companies explained. To accomplish those goals, it is using Viz Mosart on live productions, which allows a single operator to run an entire show, enabling the production of more localized content for different audiences.

Viz Mosart is designed to put all the power of the gallery and studio at the operator’s fingertips, with templated actions controlling lighting, graphics playout, robotic cameras, and videowalls simultaneously. Viaplay’s teams across Denmark and Norway are creating consistent, on-brand live content that entertains and informs soccer fans before, during, and after every Premier League match, Vizrt reported.

By automating repetitive tasks, Vizrt reported that users are able to ensure consistent, reliable productions, while enabling more creative storytelling and making it possible to deliver more content with the same resources. Viz Mosart is at the center of production workflows across the Viaplay studios, ready to be flexible and deliver what’s needed for each production team.

Viaplay subscribers across the Nordic countries and the Netherlands can tune in to the streaming service’s pre-match build-up, halftime debrief, and post-game analysis. For all live Premier League matches, soccer fans in each territory can enjoy commentary in their own language, providing them with unparalleled access to expert insight and coverage of the beautiful game.

“This is an important step in our journey to future-proof our sports productions, and without the reliable system and strong expertise we receive from Vizrt as our partner, it would not have been possible for this project to go live in such a short time,” says Robin Gerbino, vice president of production, sports operations at Viaplay Group.

“Production automation needs to be flexible to make a real difference. Adaptability is as important as reliability, especially in live sports, where so much of the excitement comes from not knowing what will happen,” says Andrew O’Neil, vice president of sports, strategy & growth at Vizrt. “The purpose is to free up your time, while keeping the production process efficient. With Viz Mosart, the show is completely yours to create and change as you please.”

To effectively implement Viz Mosart across the Viaplay studios, Vizrt offered comprehensive training of the automation solution for team leaders, including training in show design to help make shows as creative as possible.

Following the successful launch of the solution for Premier League content production, Viaplay plans on expanding its use to more markets and other sports coverage during the year — including premium rights such as the Champions League, Formula 1, Superliga, FIS Skiing, and many more, the companies explained.

"With our new partnership with Vizrt, centered around implementing Viz Mosart to strengthen our productions, we are very pleased with the collaboration and the support we have received making it possible to go live in the new soccer season kick-off. This is a first step, and we are very much looking forward to what the collaboration can bring in the years to come,” explained Gerbino at Viaplay Group.

To learn more about how automation streamlines production for news, sports, and other live and pre-recorded shows, please visit: https://www.vizrt.com/products/viz-mosart/

SAN JOSE, Calif.—Brazilian video streaming platform Globoplay has deployed Harmonic’s VOS 360 Media SaaS solution for low-latency live streaming during the 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A soccer championship.

Globo-owned Globoplay, Brazil’s largest video streaming platform, is using the Harmonic platform to stream matches with pristine video quality and near-real-time viewing experiences, the company said.

“Streaming over 300 matches across 38 rounds of Brazil’s top football championship requires us to lean on a technology partner that can deliver true broadcast-grade performance at scale,” Diego Ramos, digital platform director at Globo, said.

“After a rigorous evaluation process, we selected Harmonic for their proven low-latency streaming technology, cloud flexibility and exceptional DevOps support—all of which enable us to captivate fans with unforgettable live sports streaming experiences.”

Harmonic’s VOS360 Media SaaS simplifies all stages of media processing and streaming delivery, according to the company. Globo is running the solution in a public cloud region geographically close to its operations. The deployment was the result of a collaborative effort involving multiple Globo teams with support from Harmonic. The joint work spanned adjustments to video systems, fine-tuning of the CDN and ensuring compatibility across players, contributing to a robust and reliable rollout, Harmonic said.

“We’re thrilled to support Globo in transforming how football fans across Brazil experience live sports,” Gil Rudge, senior vice president, solutions and Americas sales, video business at Harmonic, said. “This win reinforces Harmonic’s leadership in powering live sports streaming at scale and highlights our commitment to enabling superior viewer experiences across any screen.”

Harmonic will demonstrate the streaming solutions at SET Expo 2025, Aug. 19-21, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the SDB Multimidia booth 38.

See Harmonic at IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, in Amsterdam in Stand 1.B20.

More information is available on the company’s website.

NEWARK, N.J.—With the FIFA Club World Cup final rapidly approaching and the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup now less than a year away, interest in soccer in the United States may be reaching an all-time high.

A new summit, set for July 10 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., will bring top soccer executives, investors, team owners, media executives and tech leaders together to examine how media and technology can connect fans more deeply with the sport, elevating their engagement even further.

“The Global Game: The Future of Soccer, Tech & Media Summit,” supported by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), will look at a variety of topics, such as AI-driven performance, fan engagement, streaming innovation and the expanding global footprint of soccer, summit organizers said.

“This summit reflects the next wave of innovation in global sports,” Greg Kahn, CEO of GK Digital Ventures and co-founder of the event, said. “It’s about more than soccer. It’s about how technology is reshaping everything from how we play to how we connect with fans around the world. I’m proud to partner with HBSE [Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment] and the NJEDA to make New Jersey the launchpad for these conversations and collaborations.”

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., is one of the several U.S. locations hosting the ongoing 2025 FIFA World Cup. The FIFA Club World Cup final is scheduled for July 13 at MetLife Stadium. New Jersey will also host several 2026 World Cup matches.

Moderators and panelists confirmed to date include senior leaders from HBSE, The Walt Disney Co., U.S. Soccer, Paramount/CBS Sports, Fanatics, TEG Sport North America and the FIFA World Cup 2026 NYNJ Host Committee.

With an overall theme of “Innovation of Soccer, Media and Technology,” the summit is organized into five content blocks. It will include panels on streaming; the growth of the global game, including investment; the growth of women’s soccer; and data, technology and performance, said Kahn.

Tickets for the event are available from Ticketmaster.

LIÈGE, Belgium—The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) has selected EVS’s Xeebra video review system to power its new centralized VAR (Video Assistant Referee) Center.

The facility, located at the RBFA’s headquarters, will be fully equipped by Euro Media Group (EMG) ahead of the upcoming Jupiler Pro League season kicking off in July.

The new VAR Center will feature six state-of-the-art booths, each outfitted with EVS’s Xeebra system—a FIFA- and FIBA-certified multi-camera review solution that is used across 13 sports worldwide. Xeebra enables officials to review action from multiple angles in perfect synchronization, with touchscreen controls that allow for precise zooming and slow-motion playback.

“This investment represents a significant leap forward in our commitment to innovation and fairness in football,” explained Peter Willems, CEO of the RBFA. “By centralizing our VAR operations with EVS’s Xeebra technology, we are equipping our referees with the most advanced tools available — ensuring more accurate decisions and reinforcing Belgian football’s position as a leader in integrity and technological excellence.”

“We’re proud to see Xeebra at the heart of Belgian football,” added Nicolas Bourdon, chief commercial officer at EVS. "This collaboration with the RBFA and EMG is a testament to our shared vision of delivering the highest standards in officiating through cutting-edge technology. And with access to the VAR Center for training and demonstrations, we’re excited to make Tubize a hub for VAR excellence in Europe."

CBS Sports and UC3 have announced a deal for exclusive English-language U.S. TV rights to UEFA Women’s Champions League soccer matches through the 2029-2030 season.

Beginning with the 2025-2026 season, Paramount+ will stream CBS Sports coverage of all 75 matches, with select matches also airing on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

UC3 is a joint venture between UEFA and the European Club Association that manages and sells media rights.

CBS Sports already has rights to the men’s club competitions.

As part of the deal, CBS Sports will provide exclusive coverage of the newly expanded UEFA Women’s Champions League format beginning next season with 18 clubs participating in the initial league phase; a newly added knockout phase playoff round; and concluding with the UEFA Women’s Champions League final.

CBS Sports said it will announce full coverage details ahead of the start of the 2025-26 UEFA Women’s Champions League season in July.

“The UEFA Women’s Champions League with its world class players and elite clubs adds tremendous value to CBS Sports’ premium soccer portfolio,” said Dan Weinberg, executive vice president of programming, CBS Sports. “CBS Sports is proud to be the home of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and all men’s UEFA club competitions through the end of the decade, further solidifying Paramount+ as the premier and must-have destination for soccer fans.”

“We are delighted to expand our partnership with CBS Sports, bringing the UEFA Women’s Champions League alongside the UEFA men’s club competitions,” said Guy-Laurent Epstein, managing director at UC3. “As the competition embarks on an exciting new era, we look forward to CBS Sports delivering its dynamic and insightful coverage to American audiences, showcasing the highest level of women’s club football in its new format over the next five seasons.”

In addition to CBS Sports’ coverage of live matches, CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide extensive UEFA Women’s Champions League coverage on its dedicated women’s soccer show alongside its other studio programming. CBS Sports will provide additional coverage on CBSSports.com, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter, the “Attacking Third” podcast and across its @AttackingThird social accounts.

CBS Sports’ extensive soccer portfolio features more than 2,000 live matches per year on Paramount+ and across its various platforms. Those rights include games from the NWSL, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League;,Serie A and Serie A Femminile, the English Football League and Carabao Cup, the United Soccer League, Concacaf W Champions Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the Scottish Professional Football League and more.

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast’s Xfinity has announced that Sunday Night Soccer on MLS Season Pass is now available for free to customers. The access will start with the May 18 games.

Apple has a 10 year deal valued at $2.5 billion to offer MLS Season Pass.

The weekly matches will be available within the channel guide on Xfinity X1 and the Xfinity Stream app throughout the duration of the season, making them easy for customers to find and discover alongside all their other favorite sports channels, the operator reported.

“Since we kicked off our partnership with Apple and MLS earlier this year, we’ve seen a great response from customers. They’re enjoying MLS 360 and tuning in to the integrated match channels consistently week after week,” said Vito Forlenza, vice president, sports entertainment, Comcast. “Adding Sunday Night Soccer for free introduces even more customers to all the excitement of the season and continues our commitment to deliver greater value at no additional cost.”

The announcement builds on Comcast’s and Apple’s previously announced content distribution agreement to deliver MLS Season Pass.

MLS Season Pass feature every MLS game with no blackouts, along with in-depth coverage and analysis, exclusive content, and more. Xfinity currently offers free access to MLS 360 for all Xfinity customers and integrates every MLS Season Pass match into the channel guide on X1 and the Stream app.

MLS Sunday Night Soccer on X1 and Stream will launch Sunday, May 18 at 7 p.m. ET when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF take on Orlando City SC, followed by LA Galaxy meets LAFC. All Sunday Night Soccer matches on Xfinity will be available in both English and Spanish with enhanced production and dedicated studio programming.

LONDON—Amagi, a cloud-based SaaS solutions provider for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), announced that FC Barcelona is launching Spanish and English versions of the TOP BARÇA FAST channel on Amagi NOW

Amagi Now is an all-in-one cloud media platform that simplifies content operations through automated workflows, media asset management, and streamlined distribution and monetization capabilities.

The new TOP BARÇA channels will bring fans closer to the action with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, player interviews, historical match highlights, and other content. Using Amagi’s cloud technology, FC Barcelona intends to deliver high-quality streaming experiences while tapping into new revenue streams through targeted advertising and audience monetization, the two companies reported.

The launch of TOP BARÇA is part of FC Barcelona’s drive to capitalize on the booming FAST market. With the launches, the club said it aims to strengthen is businesses by:

• Monetize Video Content: FC Barcelona advertising revenue opportunities by distributing curated Barça content across streaming platforms.
• Enhance Global Reach: The dual-language channels allow the club to engage a broader audience across Spanish-speaking regions and international markets.
• Streamline Content Delivery: Amagi’s cloud-native platform simplifies the operational complexities of managing and distributing live and on-demand content.

Toni Cruz, director of Barça Studios | Barça One, elaborated on the strategy by saying, “FC Barcelona has always been a pioneer in connecting with fans worldwide, and our partnership with Amagi to launch TOP BARÇA channels is a testament to that vision. By tapping into the FAST ecosystem, we are extending Barça’s reach and creating an innovative platform to engage our fans with premium content while driving significant revenue growth for the club.”

Amagi provides a suite of channel creation, distribution, and monetization solutions. The company’s clients include some of the world’s biggest names, including Hearst Networks UK, ABS-CBN, Astro, Cox Media Group, DAZN, Globo, Lionsgate Studios, NBCUniversal, Tastemade, and VIZIO.

NEW YORK—Paramount+ and EverPass Media has signed a multi-year distribution agreement that allows EverPass customers to stream all of CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League matches that stream on Paramount+, starting on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

EverPass Media aggregates, distributes and enables streaming of live sports and entertainment content to commercial venue like bars, restaurants and hotels. It was initially established as the exclusive distributor of NFL Sunday Ticket to commercial establishments in the United States and now offers a wide range of other content.

The Paramount/EverPass agreement offers a new distribution vehicle for CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League matchups, which were previously unavailable for commercial venues in the United States.

As part of the deal, all of CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League matches on Paramount+ will be available to stream via EverPass' platform. The deal also expands EverPass’ library of live sports content for businesses and includes select CBS Sports ancillary UEFA programming, including The Golazo Show, a whip-around show highlighting every goal from every match.

“We’re proud to expand EverPass Media’s portfolio with the Paramount+ stream of the UEFA Champions League, one of the most prestigious competitions in global sports. This partnership with CBS Sports reinforces our mission to bring the world’s most sought-after live sports to commercial establishments, ensuring bars and restaurants can provide unparalleled viewing experiences for their patrons,” said Alex Kaplan, CEO of EverPass Media. “For the first time, businesses have a seamless way to showcase every UEFA Champions League match all season long – driving foot traffic, increasing engagement and creating the kind of electric atmosphere that only live sports can deliver. This is another powerful step in redefining the way premium sports content reaches the commercial market, and we’re thrilled to partner with CBS Sports and Paramount+ to make it happen.”

CBS Sports is the exclusive English-language rightsholder for UEFA Champions League in the U.S. with all matches streaming on Paramount+ and select matches, including the semi-finals and finals also airing on the CBS Television Network. Paramount+ is home to popular original series, blockbuster movies and live championship sports including an expansive soccer portfolio that is anchored by UEFA Champions League.

“Paramount+ is the streaming home to UEFA men’s club competitions and we are always looking for ways to broaden the distribution and increase awareness for Paramount+ as well as maximize the audience for our UEFA Champions League coverage,” said Dan Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Programming CBS Sports. “This partnership with EverPass unlocks a new viewership avenue and allows us to reach the many passionate fans watching out of home.”

Major League Soccer has announced that its MLS Season Pass is returning to Apple TV, where fans in more than 100 countries and regions can sign up for MLS Season Pass to watch all the action on the league’s 30th Anniversary Season, which begins Saturday, February 22.

The Pass provides subscribers to every MLS game with no blackouts, along with in-depth coverage and analysis, expansive programming, exclusive content, and more — including the annual Leagues Cup tournament, MLS All-Star Game, Audi MLS Cup Playoffs games, and select MLS NEXT Pro matches.

In addition the league announced partnerships that will allow users to access MLS Season Pass via T-Mobile, Comcast and DirecTV.

The 2025 season marks the third year of an 10-year partnership between Apple and Major League Soccer. The upcoming season also marks the arrival of the 30th MLS team, San Diego FC. In 2022, Apple paid about $2.5 billion for the 10-year deal.

“MLS Season Pass delivers fans exactly what they want, connecting them with the game they love across all of their devices, with no blackouts,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services at Apple. “Heading into our third year with MLS, we’re excited to continue elevating the fan experience and can’t wait for the season to begin.”

“Our partnership with Apple has redefined how fans experience Major League Soccer, bringing the league to more people around the world than ever before,” said Don Garber, MLS’s commissioner. “With the addition of Sunday Night Soccer, a new studio, and the debut of Onside: Major League Soccer on Apple TV+, 2025 will be our best season yet. We couldn’t be more excited about the future of our partnership with Apple.”

To celebrate the start of the 2025 season, MLS Season Pass will broadcast select preseason matches, including when LAFC faces reigning Liga MX Apertura 2024 champion Club América on February 11 at 10:30 p.m. ET, and Inter Miami’s final preseason friendly against Orlando City SC on February 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET. These matches will also be available to stream free for Apple TV+ subscribers.

On February 22 and 23, all 30 clubs will take the pitch for MLS is Back weekend. MLS MVP Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF host New York City FC in the first match of the season at 2:30 p.m. ET. The complete regular-season schedule can be found at mlssoccer.com.

New for 2025, MLS Season Pass will broadcast a featured game of the week on Sunday evenings under the banner Sunday Night Soccer, with enhanced production and dedicated studio programming. These primetime games will air throughout the regular season and spotlight the league’s most compelling matchups. Sunday Night Soccer will include dedicated pre- and postgame shows, enhanced production and studio programming, and bespoke graphics in English and Spanish. All Sunday Night Soccer matches will also be available to stream free for Apple TV+ subscribers.

MLS also announced that T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers — including businesses — a promotional offer for complimentary access to MLS Season Pass all season long with no blackout dates. T-Mobile customers can redeem for a limited time via T-Mobile Tuesdays in the T-Life app, starting February 18.

In addition, Apple is partnering with Comcast to offer Xfinity customers an integrated viewing experience for MLS Season Pass, bringing all live matches directly into the Xfinity user interface so customers can easily find and watch all the action alongside other live programming.

As part of the partnership, customers will be able to sign up for MLS Season Pass directly through Xfinity, and every live match will be seamlessly incorporated throughout the viewing experience, including within the channel guide on X1 and the Xfinity Stream app, and the Apple TV app.

In addition, Comcast and Apple are unlocking free access to MLS 360 for all Xfinity customers throughout the season, the first time the popular whip-around studio show — which provides live looks-ins from every match — has been available without an MLS Season Pass subscription. And to celebrate the start of the 2025 season and the launch of the new viewing experience, Xfinity will offer all customers a free preview of MLS Season Pass from February 22 to March 2, after which they’ll be able to subscribe to MLS Season Pass through Xfinity.

Also new for the 2025 season, DirecTV residential customers can subscribe to MLS Season Pass through DirecTV. Matches will be available to watch live in the DirecTV satellite guide on channels 480 through 495, similar to the viewing experience for other league packages. Customers who subscribe through DirecTV will also be able to access MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app.

DirecTV is making a free preview of MLS Season Pass available to all DirecTV residential and commercial satellite customers from February 22 to March 1, after which those customers will be able to upgrade to MLS Season Pass through DirectTV channels. This offering expands upon DirecTV’s exclusive rights to provide MLS Season Pass to commercial establishments, which has been available to DirecTV for Business’s vast network of more than 300,000 sports bars, restaurants, and more since the 2023 season.

NEW YORK—Major League Soccer has announced plans to move MLS Productions, the league’s media and broadcast production arm, into a new studio and facilities at World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.

The move will help MLS Productions expand its capabilities, broaden content offerings, offer more efficient workflows and centralize its broadcast content and graphics.

The move is part of a renewed, multiyear deal between MLS and IMG that will expand their existing broadcast production relationship. As part of the agreement, IMG will continue to produce live match and studio productions and programming for more than 600 annual games on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

The WWE facility where MLS Production plans to reside is part of TKO Group Holdings, which recently reached an agreement with Endeavor to acquire IMG, in a transaction expected to be completed in the first half of this year.

The brand new state-of-the-art production facility, The Studios at WWE in Stamford, is a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art production facility equipped with five studios with the latest technologies, wide-ranging production amenities, and highlighted by an awe-inspiring virtual production stage.

The facility features best-in-class production offerings and new cutting-edge technology to further improve the production of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, MLS said. It will serve as the hub for popular MLS live studio programming and content in English and Spanish. The new location for MLS Season Pass will enable MLS Productions to add programming in the new season.

The bespoke facility, which has been engineered around the needs of MLS Productions, will also enable centralized solutions across the MLS workflow, the companies said.

“The debut of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV has been remarkable for fans around the world to be able to consume all MLS games and content,” said, Seth Bacon, executive vice president, media, MLS. “With the incredible momentum and excitement around the league, we are thrilled to further our partnership with IMG to support our vision of elevating production, creating new viewing opportunities, and pushing the sports broadcast landscape into the future.”

IMG produces content for some of the world’s biggest leagues and events, including the English Premier League, English Football League, Saudi Pro League, CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League and Europa League coverage, UFC, DP World Tour, The Ryder Cup, and The Open Championship.

“Together with MLS and Apple, we have set a new standard for the MLS viewing experience, creating a new era of entertaining, highly engaging content for football fans globally,” said Barney Francis, executive vice president of studios, IMG. “Over the coming years, we will continue to innovate with cutting-edge technology and creativity, powered by our incredible new home, The Studios at WWE, and IMG’s industry-leading production experience and capabilities.”

“We have long admired the tremendous MLS-IMG partnership—and the fantastic product and results it has generated over the years,” WWE Executive Vice President, Media and Production Lee Fitting said. “We believe that WWE’s new state-of-the-art facilities will help take their collective capabilities to even greater heights.”

In 2023, MLS and Apple debuted MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, creating a single destination where every MLS match is available for fans worldwide, the league said. Together with its production partners IMG and NEP, MLS Season Pass has brought best-in-class production, more expansive coverage and increased global visibility, surpassing expectations in its first two years, according to the league.

LOS GATOS, Calif.—In a historic deal for women’s soccer and major sports on streaming services, Netflix has secured the exclusive U.S. rights to the Women’s World Cup from FIFA for 2027 and 2031. It will be the first time the tournament will appear on a streaming service, FIFA said.

The 2027 tourney, which runs from June 24 to July 25, will feature 32 teams from across the globe, competing in 12 cities throughout Brazil, the host country. The 2031 location has not yet been announced.

“This is a landmark moment for sports media rights,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said. “As a marquee brand and FIFA’s new long-term partner, Netflix has shown a very strong level of commitment to growing women’s football. This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game. FIFA and Netflix partnering together makes this a truly historic day for broadcasting and for women’s football. Besides broadcasting the tournaments themselves, Netflix will play a key role in terms of bringing the fascination of women’s football to a multimillion audience in the lead-up to both final tournaments, thereby enabling us to further increase their appeal.”

The Netflix-FIFA pact covers all languages and will include both English- and Spanish-language telecasts. For the last Women’s World Cup in 2023, Fox Sports held U.S. English-language TV rights with Spanish-language telecasts on NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo.

As part of the deal, Netflix will supplement its coverage with studio shows and top-tier talent for commentary and entertainment.

In addition, in the run-up to the tournament, Netflix will produce exclusive documentary programming spotlighting the top players, their journeys, and the explosion of the sport around the globe.

The deal is the latest example of Netflix’s push to add major live events, particularly sports. With this deal, Netflix’s slate of premium live programming now spans entertainment (the SAG Awards returns to Netflix on Feb. 23), comedy (“GROAT: The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady”) and sports, with major deals for NFL Christmas Day games and WWE “Monday Night Raw,” along with the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup.

Last month, Netflix reported that 108 million people tuned in to see Jake Paul battle Mike Tyson, making it the most-streamed sporting event ever and one of the most controversial, with major tech problems plaguing the coverage.

The co-headlining event, Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano, punched its way to the No. 1 most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history with 74 million live global viewers. On Christmas day, it will offer a double-header of NFL Christmas Day games, featuring the Chiefs vs. the Steelers and the Ravens vs. the Texans.

The Netflix debut of “Monday Night Raw” will be on Jan. 6.

“Our record-breaking success with Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor demonstrated the massive appetite for women’s sports and live programming,” Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria said. “I’ve seen the fandom for the FIFA Women’s World Cup grow tremendously — from the electric atmosphere in France in 2019, and most recently, the incredible energy across Australia and New Zealand in 2023. Bringing this iconic tournament to Netflix is not just about streaming matches — it’s about celebrating the players, the culture, and the passion driving the global rise of women’s sports.”

CINCINNATI—E.W. Scripps said its the first season of National Women's Soccer League on Ion broadcasts—matches and studio shows—reached more than 20.5 million total unique viewers, including 13.5 viewers unique to the network.

Scripps Sports televised Saturday night doubleheaders on Ion throughout the season, a total of 50 matches—more than any other network—and 53 studio shows. Ion was among the networks involved in a multiyear distribution agreement announced in November 2023 that included CBS Sports, ESPN and Prime Video.

Ion delivered more than 130 hours of NWSL content during the season.

“NWSL fans consistently showed up to watch Ion every week,” Scripps Sports president Brian Lawlor said. “It was an incredible first year. We expect to continue growing the audience and helping the league grow its fan base.”

League officials agreed.

“Our matches on Ion brought incredible NWSL content to fans everywhere,” added Brian Gordon, NWSL senior vice president of broadcast. "Beyond the matches, the ability to go in depth with our athletes and give them a platform to amplify their own stories helped our fans grow an even deeper affinity for the players, clubs and league. We are very proud of our collaboration with Scripps Sports and look forward to continuing our work together next season.”

Other highlights of the audiences on NWSL on Ion included:

• Ion delivered the largest share of female viewers of any network (57% of the P25-54 audience, 55% of the persons 2-plus).
• 50% of all NWSL viewers watched matches on Ion, the highest percentage of all linear broadcast partners.
• Matches drew an average audience of 145,000 viewers 2-plus per game, with a high of 234,000 on July 6 for Orlando-Kansas City.
• NWSL matches on Ion delivered more than 3.6 million hours of viewing across free ad-supported television (FAST) channels, including Roku, Samsung TV, LG, Vizio, Xumo, Plex, Amazon Fire TV Channels, Pluto, The CW and Tablo.
• Scripps Sports formed more than two dozen advertising partnerships, including Capital One as presenting sponsor of “NWSL on Ion Saturday Night Soccer.”

Vizio is jumping into the live sports business with a new deal that will make Vizio WatchFree+ will be the exclusive place to watch The Women’s Cup Summer 2024 Tournament games.  

This event marks the first live sporting event hosted exclusively on the WatchFree+ platform in the U.S.  It is also a notable example of streaming platforms have been expanding their live sports and illustrates how smart TV manufacturers like Vizio are expanding their content offerings and ad sales efforts. 

The Women’s Cup, a prestigious women’s professional club soccer tournament, features top international and U.S. women’s soccer teams, showcasing the global talent in women’s soccer. Eight games will be available exclusively on Vizio WatchFree+ on a dedicated pop-up channel (ch. #1301), available from August 7 to August 19. 

This channel will also feature archival games from previous tournaments, game highlights, interviews, and more - enhancing the viewing experience for fans. 

The Women’s Cup will showcase the talents of eight exceptional women’s club soccer teams, representing the United States, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. 

“The Women’s Cup aims to reach new audiences and share the power of women’s soccer,” said John Paul Reynal, CEO of The Women’s Cup. “We are proud to name Vizio the exclusive viewing destination for the tournament in the U.S. so that millions will be able to enjoy the best talent and competition from around the world.” 

"We are thrilled to be the exclusive home of The Women’s Cup in the United States, highlighting our commitment to showcasing excellence in women’s sports," said Katherine Pond, Group Vice President of Platform Content & Partnerships at Vizio. "Bringing live sports to WatchFree+ is one way that we can celebrate the talent and passion of female athletes while making world-class sports entertainment more accessible to everyone." 

For more information about WatchFree+, visit www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus.     

NEW YORK—At the midseason mark, Major League Soccer is reporting record highs in traffic and engagement on its social media and digital platforms.

Engagement on League and Club social channels are at an all-time high and have received over 400M social interactions in 2024 to date, a +230% rise vs. last season. 

In addition the league reported that traffic on the league's website is up +102% year-to-date over 2023. This includes the highest single-day traffic in MLSsoccer.com's history when the Inter Miami vs. El Salvador preseason match was streamed live on the site on Jan 19.

The league also reported these record breaking stats:  

• 3X Increase in Video Views: @MLS' video content continues to increase in popularity, collecting 1 billion video views in 2024 thus far, three times more than the same time last year.
• Fastest Growing Social Following: MLS' social following has grown at a higher rate in 2024 than any other major men's North American sports leagues on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube:
• TikTok: +566K added followers in 2024 (+17% since start of season)
• YouTube: +180K added followers in 2024 (+14% since start of season)
• Instagram: +328K added followers in 2024 (+8% since start of season)
• Inter Miami Leads the Way in Social Engagement: Inter Miami has become the most followed North American sports team on TikTok (8.9M followers) and the 3rd most followed on Instagram (17.1M followers). 

In addition the league also reported midseason records for attendance, sponsorship revenue, & retail sales.

Major League Soccer's All-Star takes place July 24 when the MLS All-Stars take on the LIGA MX All-Stars at Lower.com Field in Columbus Ohio. The second edition of Leagues Cup kicks off July 26 with every MLS and LIGA MAX club competing in the month-long tournament. The MLS All-Star Game and Leagues Cup are available on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com. 

NEW YORK—Following a recent deal for English Football League rights, CBS Sports continues to bulk up on international soccer rights, with a multi-platform, two-year agreement for Lega Serie A rights. 

The renewed agreement, which was approved by Serie A Assembly, means that CBS Sports continues as the exclusive U.S. English-language rights holder of every Serie A Championship, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana match. The deal involves more than 400 matches per season on Paramount+ with select matches on the CBS Television Network, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network, 

This extends the partnership that began when CBS Sports first aired Serie A matches in the 2021-22 season and underscores Lega Serie A’s strategic prioritization of investment in the league’s future growth in North America.

As part of a scope for increased distribution, Paramount+ will remain home to more than 400 club matches live each season, featuring all 380 Serie A matches, at least 25 Coppa Italia matches and all Supercoppa Italiana matches. The new deal marks the widest distribution in the U.S of Serie A, with the most matches airing on broadcast television ever over the course of the deal, including on the CBS Television Network, as well as select matches on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

Additional live match and studio coverage details for the start of the 2024-25 season will be announced in the coming weeks, CBS said. 

Nine of the 20 Serie A teams have a North American ownership stake, and the league boasts some of North America’s biggest soccer talents, including USMNT stars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Timothy Weah, Weston McKennie, and Canada’s Tajon Buchanan. The 2024-2025 season will see the ranks of North American talent in Serie A bolstered, with the ascension of four new American stars from the newly promoted teams, Venezia and Como.

In addition to airing live matches, CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide analysis and commentary of Serie A competition throughout its live studio programming. The first-of-its-kind, free, 24-hour soccer streaming network in the U.S. offers fans unparalleled coverage of all top domestic and international soccer competitions. The Network is available on connected TV and mobile devices through Paramount+, the CBS Sports App and Pluto TV, on CBSSports.com, and as a channel on The Roku Channel, Amazon FreeVee, Local Now and Plex.

CBS Sports will also provide additional editorial coverage of Serie A on CBSSports.com, the Golazo Starting XI newsletter and across its @CBSSportsGolazo social accounts.

CBS Sports’ extensive soccer portfolio features more than 1,500 live matches per year across its various platforms including Serie A; the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Youth League; NWSL; the United Soccer League; English Football League competitions including the Carabao Cup; Concacaf national team competitions; Argentina’s Liga Profesional de Fútbol; the Scottish Professional Football League; AFC Champions League and more.

NEW YORK—CBS Sports and the English Football League (EFL) have announced an exclusive, multi-year, multi-platform rights agreement that will see CBS Sports offer the widest distribution of EFL matches ever in the United States. 

As part of the deal, CBS Sports will air at least 250 EFL matches each season across the Championship, League One, League Two, Carabao Cup and Bristol Street Motors Trophy beginning in August and continuing through the end of the 2027/28 season. Matches will air on Paramount+ with select matches airing on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network.

With 1,891 scheduled matches (fixtures) each season, the EFL is home to some of the most respected, popular and successful football competitions in the world. At the end of the 2023/24 season, the EFL ranked as the highest-attended League body in Europe with 21.5 million fans welcomed through the turnstiles for a Championship, League One or League Two fixture.

“The exciting action and prestige of the EFL, as the oldest league in the world, adds tremendous value to CBS Sports’ premium soccer portfolio,” said Dan Weinberg, executive vice president, programming, CBS Sports. “With the EFL’s compelling storylines and growing popularity coupled with our first-class coverage, we look forward to further elevating this league in the U.S. CBS Sports continues to be the premier destination for European football fans in this country with Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network as must-haves with their wide array of soccer properties and robust year-round match coverage.”

“Appetite for football in the North American markets has been growing year on year, and this partnership with CBS Sports and their leadership in covering the sport marks a significant milestone,” said Trevor Birch, CEO at the EFL. “The EFL is already broadcast to a global audience of 400 million across 182 territories, beaming into more than 250 million homes outside of the UK. We believe that American fans will embrace the excitement, tradition, and competitiveness that is embodied by our EFL competitions. This is an exciting time for the League and our Clubs, and we look forward to sharing our matches with viewers across the United States.”

STOCKHOLM—Global video solutions provider, Accedo is reporting that it has been working with Deutsche Telekom to showcase an extended reality (XR) sports streaming application of its live sports streaming service.  

The application for live soccer uses Accedo Xtend, Accedo’s solution for advanced XR applications in media complemented with solutions from Ateme and HISPlayer. The XR solution integrates live streams and data feeds to showcase a next-gen interactive sports service for MagentaSport. 

The service will include a host of interactive features such as live statistics, multi-camera feeds, player cards, and 3D sponsored experiences, all embracing the immersive aspects of the Accedo Xtend platform.

By incorporating Magenta’s live streams into an XR experience, Deutsche Telekom and Accedo said that they are introducing fans to a viewing experience that is no longer constrained to the physical limitations of the TV screen. 

The application will blend fans’ physical and virtual worlds by displaying the match in the space around the fan, while also introducing a new layer of interaction where fans can access supplementary information such as team and player statistics and watch replays from different angles. 

It draws on solutions from Ateme and HISPlayer to ensure high quality video and experience with low latency and bandwidth, while enabling advanced features in new environments. Additionally, it enables sponsors to interact with fans in new ways to drive revenue, the companies said. 

“Accedo’s unrivaled experience and expertise within the XR, media and sports industries has enabled it to seamlessly build a high-quality XR live sports streaming experience,” explained Daniel Aslam, senior partner & business development manager, Deutsche Telekom. “The application will allow us to deliver a truly immersive and engaging vision of a next-generation MagentaSport experience.”

“As the sports industry evolves, we’re seeing a noticeable increase in activity and interest in XR applications,” added Michael Lantz, CEO, Accedo. “The Accedo Xtend platform enables immersive applications to be launched in record time with a configurable set of features, allowing for experimentation as well as cost control. We’re thrilled about this collaboration with Deutsche Telekom, which we believe will showcase the immense potential of spatial interactive user engagement for live sports.”

Premier Sports, an Irish-based premium sports broadcaster, has selected QuickLink’s Remote Commentary solution for introducing professional, high-quality remote commentators into live sports coverage. 

Premier Sports offers die-hard sports fans access to 24/7 on-demand video collection, with a host of live content, such as livestreams of some of the biggest sports events around the world, including Premier League, Formula 1, NBA, WTA, LaLiga, Serie A, Champions League, UFC, NASCAR and more.

Premier Sports has integrated QuickLink’s Remote Commentary solution to offer high-quality remote commentators, casters and announcers from any location worldwide into their live sports productions. The remote commentators can view real-time, high-quality video and audio of a sporting event while providing single or collaborative commentary from the comfort of their homes.

”The QuickLink Remote Commentary solution has been a revelation in enabling us to easily introduce remote commentators into our sports productions,” said Mark Pilkington, CTO at Premier Sports. “We are now able to easily introduce audio commentary from remote guests and more effectively provide audio commentary to our subscribers, “

The Remote Commentary solution facilitates multi-language remote commentary and seamlessly fits into any workflow. Available as software, hardware or cloud, the Remote Commentary solution uses QuickLink’s remote contribution solutions, high-level of remote guest control, broadcast-grade production tool or broadcast-grade hardware. This solution is being used to provide remote commentary for some of the world’s leading sports brands including Fox Sports, Red Bull Media House, ESL and Star Sports.

Mark added; “The high-level of remote control settings and dedicated commentary workflows within the QuickLink StudioManager ensure that we are able to easily incorporate remote commentators and castors into our sports commentary. The QuickLink solutions have enabled us to add a new dynamic to our sports production broadcasts, “

CBS Sports has launched “Champions League” as a new, 24-hour streaming channel that will serve as the year-round destination for nonstop highlights of the UEFA Champions League.

At launch, Champions League is available free on Pluto TV and on connected TV devices through the CBS Sports App, with additional availability next month, including through the CBS Sports App on mobile, CBSSports.com and Paramount+. Paramount+ will continue to stream live every UEFA Champions League match as well as on-demand match replays.

“UEFA Champions League represents the absolute best soccer in the world, and this new channel delivers fans an always-on venue to relive the special moments, sensational goals, iconic players and storied clubs that define this one-of-a-kind tournament,” said Jeffrey Gerttula, executive vice president, digital, of CBS Sports, News, Stations and Entertainment. “CBS Sports is the 24/7 home for soccer fans in this country, and we’re excited for this latest addition to our industry-leading multiplatform soccer coverage.”

CBS Sports acquired the rights to UEFA Champions League beginning in 2020 and in 2023 CBS Sports continued the evolution of its soccer coverage with the launch of CBS Sports Golazo Network, the first-of-its-kind free soccer streaming network in the U.S. On social platforms, @CBSSportsGolazo has become the No. 1 U.S. soccer media brand in engagement rate and has driven over 4.2 billion video views over the last year, CBS Sports reported. 

In addition to CBS Sports Golazo Network, UEFA Champions League joins CBS Sports HQ streaming sports news network; CBS News 24/7, CBS News’ free national streaming news service; and Pluto TV, the pioneer and leading player in the FAST industry.

THATCHAM, U.K.—Test and measurement provider Phabrix, a Leader Company, has announced that its distributor, Logic Media Solutions, has sold multiple Phabrix Qx rasterizers, Leader LV5600 waveform monitors and LV7600 rasterizers to TVN Live Production. 

Headquartered in Hanover, Germany, TVN is one of Europe’s leading providers of mobile television services, working on high-profile productions including soccer tournaments and music festivals for more than 35 years. The company is also in demand as a supplier and partner in the development and introduction of innovative technical solutions.

The adoption of Ultra-High Definition (HDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR) production workflows provided the impetus for TVN’s latest investment in T&M and monitoring equipment, the companies said. 

“With the beginning of the era of UHD and HDR, it was an easy decision to choose Phabrix instruments for our technical positions, and Leader instruments for our operator positions” said TVN CEO Markus Osthaus, adding that the two brands’ products fulfilled the company’s requirements for “user-friendly and flexible measurement devices for professional broadcast use”.

Working closely with Christophe Bingemer, managing director of Phabrix/Leader reseller Logic Media Solutions, TVN decided upon an investment comprising Phabrix Qx rasterizers, Leader LV5600 waveform monitors and LV7600 rasterizers. 

The Qx rasterizer brings together all the advanced tools required for transitioning to the next generation of video formats. Designed for HD/3G/6G/12-SDI and IP ST 2110/2022-7/2022-6 environments, as well as 4K/UHD production and advanced HDR analysis, the instrument set includes tools for rapid fault diagnosis, compliance monitoring and product development. 

Also supporting both new and legacy workflows, the Leader LV5600 is a ‘True Hybrid’ waveform monitor compatible with 4K/HD/SD-SDI signals and UHD/HD/SD IP signals, the company said. 

The LV7600 rasterizer offers the same capabilities as the flagship LV5600 but in a low-profile 19 inch 1U form-factor for easy rack or desk mounting. Engineering-related features include test pattern generation, eye pattern display, closed-caption monitoring, CIE chroma chart, HDR measurement, focus assist, customizable screen layout, tally interface and 4K/UHD operation as well as 10G/25G IP input and 12G-SDI interfaces.

Osthaus said that the new Phabrix and Leader equipment has already been deployed during its commitments to multiple tournaments: “TVN applies Phabrix/Leader measurement equipment at all Bundesliga matches, as well as UEFA tournaments such as Champions League, Europa League and Conference League – thus always providing the best picture quality and signal quality for our customers.”

As to the future, further investments in Leader group products are evidently a possibility. “When we plan and set up new studios or OB vans, the Phabrix/Leader products have become part of our standard equipment,” noted Osthaus, adding that the brands have “always been at the cutting edge of technology, and usually ahead of the competition in terms of innovation.”

“It is always gratifying to hear that a company with such a prestigious track-record as TVN Live Production has put its trust in Phabrix and Leader T&M and monitoring equipment for its work on hugely important productions like Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League,” Masayoshi Ishihara, managing director, Leader Europe said. “With expectations rising ever-higher in the era of UHD and HDR production, TVN can depend upon the versatility and robust performance of the Qx rasterizers and LV5600 monitors to ensure that its customers – and their viewers – experience the best possible quality every time.”

LOS ANGELES—With the FIFA Women’s World Cup getting ready to wrap up, new research from Ampere Analysis highlights the growing popularity of soccer in America, with nearly 20% of U.S. sports fans now claiming it is their favorite sport and broadcasters tripling their spending on soccer rights since 2015.  

The Ampere survey found that soccer is the fourth most popular American sport, a figure that has grown rapidly from the last quarter of 2021. The US boasts a high proportion of avid female soccer fans (37%), compared to 31% among the big five Western European markets. 

Taken together, these findings bode well for Major League Soccer (MLS), with Lionel Messi having recently joined Inter Miami. 

They also help explain record viewing data from Nielsen for the FIFA Women’s World Cup, now getting ready for the finals on August 20 between Spain and England. 

Spanish-language coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup on Telemundo and Peacock has been particularly successful. 

The August 10 quarterfinal match between Spain v. Netherlands averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 968,000 viewers across Telemundo, Peacock, Universo and Telemundo streaming platforms, making it the most watched Women’s World Cup Quarterfinal match in Spanish-language history surpassing the 2019 Netherlands quarterfinal by 205 percent. NBCUniversal has also been reporting that total minutes consumed to-date surpassed 1.3 billion across Telemundo, Universo, TeleXitos, Peacock, and the Telemundo App. 

Earlier the USA v. Netherlands averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.51 million viewers across Telemundo, Peacock, Universo and Telemundo streaming platforms, according to Nielsen. 

“Understanding the consumption habits of US soccer fans is crucial for the broadcasters who want to curate and build appealing content around this behavior,” said Sam Nursall, research analyst at Ampere in a new report discussing how broadcasters can monetize the growing interest in soccer. “There’s a really strong opportunity here to combine the best of traditional broadcast with the capabilities of streaming services and social media to meet the appetite of these passionate fans. Ampere also believes that the challenges of piracy to avoid paying fees can be addressed through multi-league bundles to bring soccer fans all the content they can consume.”

One major opportunity regarding the soccer fan base is their relative affluence. Ampere found that US soccer fans are 43% more likely than average sports fans to have a household income of more than $100,000, making this affluent audience a key target for broadcasters and rights holders

Crucially, the fanbase is passionate and willing to pay to indulge in their love of the beautiful game. Almost three-quarters (73%) of US-based fans of the Premier League and UEFA Champions League say they will pay to watch the competitions

Ampere also reported that networks in the US are also increasing their spending on soccer rights. In 2022, soccer broadcasting rights in the US were worth over $1.3bn – three times more than in 2015, according to Ampere. 

Currently, interest in soccer competitions is dominated by global and European events, the report found. 

American fans most enjoy the FIFA World Cup (33%), the English Premier League (31%), and the UEFA Champions League (30%), with only 20% claiming to follow the MLS

But the MLS will be hoping to boost this rising interest. Alongside the global Apple TV deal signed in 2022, the League has welcomed Lionel Messi to Inter Miami, making the competition more appealing to those who prefer to watch top-tier players, the report said. 

Ampere researchers stressed, however, that creating the right digital strategy will be vital to meet the viewing needs of American soccer fans

US soccer fans pay for more SVoD services than average and prefer to watch sports on streaming instead of broadcast TV

Awkward kick-off times for the top European leagues mean they view comparatively less live sport than other US fan groups. As a result, they have high engagement rates with highlights and player content on social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube where they already have strong consumption rates, the reserchers said. 

According to Ampere’s findings, nearly half of US soccer fans say they only want to watch the sport via an online streaming platform. More than half (54%) say they are most likely to view on a second home at home rather than the main TV set

BERGEN, Norway—Vizrt has announced that it collaborated with Sky Sports Germany to broadcast its first vertical soccer match multi-screened on Tik Tok. 

The collaboration allowed fans who tuned into the broadcaster’s social media platform on Saturday to watch the highly anticipated Super Cup match, with a multi-split screen format that delivered a unique fan experience, the companies said. 

“Sport viewer trends are rapidly changing,” explained Alessandro Reitano, senior vice president sports production at Sky Sports. “Vertical football [soccer] matches have been broadcasted previously, however screening on TikTok whilst offering a multi-screen viewing experience is a first. We’ve seen a growing demand for snappier content via digital platforms, and with Vizrt Vectar, we can deliver a one-of-a-kind experience that combines multiple aspects of the game within a short 15-minute segment.”

Described as a ‘Watch Party’, viewers were able to watch multiple sources and graphics simultaneously including exclusive camera cuts, performance history, and match analytics, the companies said. 

Sky Sports Germany is using Vizrt’s Viz Vectar Plus for the live 9:16 production, in addition to using Viz Engine 5, and its classic render pipeline, for its core broadcast studio production to drive the LED walls and AR graphics.

Sky Sports Germany has also brought in Viz Arena for in-stadium AR graphics and Viz Libero for advanced sports analysis.

The companies also noted that recent research by Vizrt has shown a growing trend amongst Gen Z for short-form content and that Vizrt’s solutions allowed Sky Sports Germany to capitalize on this trend by offering 15-minute live segments of the game aired prior to, during, and post the match. 

This new viewing experience also responds to a growing trend in sports by younger generations who are opting out of traditional broadcast formats and prefer to watch sports via their mobile phones while on the go.  

Two-thirds (68%) of Gen Z and almost half (47%) of millennials frequently watch sports on social media and over 70% find vertical viewing more personal and immersive than horizontal, according to Vizrt. 

MIAMI, Fla.—Telemundo, which has the exclusive Spanish-language rights in the U.S. to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, has announced it will offer six additional matches on its flagship network, three of which are Round of 16 matches airing this upcoming week. 

With the six new matches, Telemundo will air a total of 39 matches on its national network including the 23 remaining matches of the tournament. 

“Given the unprecedented interest in this year’s Women’s World Cup, we are excited to announce we are doubling down on our efforts and will offer an additional six games on our flagship network, plus a series of reairs of key matches,” said Eli Velazquez, executive vice president of Telemundo Deportes. “The fans’ response to our Group Stage coverage across our linear platforms, and especially on Peacock, has been beyond our expectations and we are thrilled to be able to reach a larger number of fans with the world class coverage they’ve come to expect.” 

The six matches are: 

• Sun., Aug. 6 at 3 a.m. ET: Round of 16: Sweden vs. USA 
• Mon., Aug. 7 at 3:30 a.m. ET: Round of 16: England vs. Nigeria   
• Mon., Aug. 7 at 6:30 a.m. ET: Round of 16: Australia vs. Denmark 
• Thur., Aug. 10 at 3:30 a.m. ET: Quarterfinals 
• Fri., Aug. 11 at 2:30 a.m. ET: Quarterfinals 
• Sat., Aug. 19 at 3:30 a.m. ET: Third Place 

 AUCKLAND, N.Z.—NBCUniversal is reporting that Spanish-language coverage of the USA v. Netherlands averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 1.51 million viewers across Telemundo, Peacock, Universo and Telemundo streaming platforms. 

That made the rematch of the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup Final the most watched Women’s World Cup Group Stage match in Spanish-language history and the second largest ever regardless of stage, closely matching the 2019 Finals (1.55 million viewers). 

The USA-Netherlands rematch on July 26 also scored big on digital as the most streamed Women’s World Cup Group Stage match in U.S. media history with an Average Minute Audience of 244,000 viewers. 

Yesterday’s 1-1 draw between USA and Netherlands posted a 50% increase from the previous matchup v. Vietnam (1.01 million TAD) last week Friday, and 81% up from the second USA match in 2019 vs. Chile (833,000 TAD). This week’s USA match continues to build on Telemundo’s dominance, now owning the top nine Women’s World Cup matches in Spanish-language history.  

Telemundo is the exclusive Spanish-language media rights holder to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in the U.S. Through 22 matches, FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is averaging a TAD of 194,000 viewers, on par with the 2019 full group stage average (194,000) which took place in France in a more favorable time zone.

As coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 heats up, FIFA has announced a ground-breaking expansion of FIFA+ that make the streaming platform available on five new connected TV apps, with launches on Samsung TV, LG, VIDAA, Amazon Fire, and Android TV, and five new FAST channel platforms, with FIFA+ now available on Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, VIDAA Channels, The Roku Channel and Rakuten TV.

"We are excited to bring FIFA+ to fans through these connected TV apps and FAST channel platforms , extending our reach and making football more accessible to a wider audience," said Charlotte Burr, FIFA’s director of strategy, digital and FIFA+. "Our goal is to connect fans from every corner of the world and provide them with unrivaled access to the sport they love. This expansion is a significant step towards achieving that vision and bringing the beautiful game to everyone. Every innovation we make is rooted in growing the game, and we want to thank all the CTV and FAST platforms for their support in making this happen.”

Featuring a wide range of originals, live broadcasts, and an extensive archive, FIFA+ will be on home screens of millions of fans globally as the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 continues, FIFA said. 

Content from the tournament is available across the platform – including interviews, highlights, full match replays after 24 hours in select territories, and more - while more than 50 countries including Brazil, Japan and The Netherlands can enjoy live broadcasts of the matches.

FIFA reported that FIFA+ welcomed 211 million unique users for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, alongside a staggering 190 million views on match recaps, captivating fans with expertly curated highlights. 

The entire FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 archive was released on the platform earlier in July of 2023, alongside a ground-breaking women’s football documentary, All Roads Lead Down Under – one of FIFA+’s most ambitious Original storytelling projects yet.

TEL AVIV—On the eve of the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023, a major new survey shows that the interest in women's soccer has seen a massive spike since the 2019 World Cup. The WSC Sports survey of 14,000 people in seven countries and five continents found that avid followers of the Women’s World Cup set to increase by 57% from 929 million in 2019 to 1.472 billion in 2023 and that awareness of the tournament is also much higher.

That amounts to 543 million new fans for the tournament, which kicks-off on Thursday July 20.

WSC reported that the tournament registered 46% awareness globally with England (66%) ranking highest, followed by Brazil (59%), co-hosts Australia (58%), United States (43%), Germany (40%), France (33%) and Japan (21%). 

“Our research shows conclusively the rate at which interest and awareness of women’s sport is growing globally. It also underlines the role of digital platforms and short-format content in driving a bigger audience for the Women's World Cup," says Daniel Shichman, CEO at WSC Sports.

In the U.S., the survey found that: 

• Nearly half (49%) of adults surveyed in the U.S. consume sports content via highlights 
• Over half (66%) of people in surveyed in the U.S. do not at all follow the women’s football outside of major tournaments, with only 26% following to some extent 
• 8% of adults surveyed in U.S. fully follow the women’s football
• 28% of adults surveyed in the U.S. claim that their biggest barrier to watching women’s sports is the lack of viewing options.

Highlighting the ability of the tournament to connect with new audiences, the survey found that four in ten (40%) who will follow the tournament avidly identified themselves as casual sports followers; in contrast, just 24% of the total audience surveyed identified themselves as casual sports fans. Of the new followers identified, 52% are female. 

Digital media is an especially important factor in this growth, the researchers said. 

WSC Sports’ research revealed that 30% of the global audience will follow the tournament via YouTube. Streaming services and Facebook are jointly the third most popular method (17%) followed by Google Search (14%) and Instagram (13%). 

The survey also found that TikTok (8%) has surpassed Twitter (7%) in its popularity among all sports fans, this is heightened amongst Gen Z with more than a quarter (26%) of 16-24-year-olds typically tapping the vertical video platform for sports content.   

The researchers also highlighted the growing impact of short-format video for Gen Z. In the 16-24 year old group, 43%, versus 30% for all ages named YouTube and Instagram (31%, versus 13% overall) as the most popular way to engage with the sports. In contrast only 30% turned to television. In addition, almost four in ten (38%) young adults typically watch sports on a mobile device, compared to just 23% across all age ranges, the study found. 

Underpinning the popularity of YouTube and general rise in digital viewership is the increasing interest in highlights and non-live content, especially amongst younger audiences, the researchers said. 

A striking 47% of viewers are set to follow the Women’s World Cup via highlights, second only to those watching games live (59%), whilst analysis/commentary (20%), player-led content (18%), features and documentaries (12%) and behind-the-scenes (8%) are expected to be the most consumed types of content during the tournament. 

Interestingly, 16–24-year-olds displayed a higher-than-average preference for player-focused coverage (25%, versus 17% for all ages) and behind-the-scenes content (14%, compared to 8% universally).

Utilizing advanced AI technologies, WSC Sports automates the creation and distribution of video content for over 350 teams, leagues, competitions and broadcasters across the globe, including the Women's National Basketball Association and the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

"At WSC Sports we’ve seen video demand from our clients increase 66% - with our AI-powered platform producing 3.5 million videos in the first half of 2023,” Shichman explained. “Sports rights holders are starting to see that more digital content equals more engagement and bigger audiences. This is also true for women’s sport evidenced by the fact that engagement levels for our clients’ YouTube content has risen 35% year-on-year."

“These figures mirror what this research is telling us about women’s sport: the more people watch, the more they want," he concluded. "Women’s sport has a growing and increasingly passionate audience - one that becomes more and more attractive to sponsors and investors, whose contributions can make a huge difference in accelerating the growth of women's leagues, events, and competitions, globally.”

More information is available here. 

PHILADELPHIA—Comcast NBCUniversal has announced that the Premier League has joined the partner consortium of the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator. 

As part of the partner consortium, the Premier League, which is the organizing body of the English Premier League football competition, will work with other members of the group as strategic advisors to the startups selected for the annual program, which is currently midway through its third cohort. 

In addition to advising the startups, the Premier League will have the opportunity to be involved in the selection of startups for SportsTech’s fourth cohort, which is currently open to applicants, as well as future classes.

“Through our first three cohorts, we noticed that more than one-third of startup teams applying are international and often looking to break into the U.S. market to further accelerate their business success,” said Jenna Kurath, vice president of startup partnerships, head of Comcast NBCU SportsTech. “The Premier League, with its expansive footprint, global fanbase, and incredible leadership will be a wonderful asset to our startups and their experience in the program. We’re excited to work alongside the Premier League team and startup founders to test and experiment with emerging technologies that will bring fans closer to the sports moments that matter.”

“We are delighted to be adding to our longstanding relationship with Comcast and NBC by joining the Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech Accelerator,” added Paul Molnar, chief media officer at the Premier League. “We look forward to working with the Comcast NBCU team, Boomtown, and the other sports partners to help discover new and emerging technologies which can play a meaningful role in the ever-changing sports industry, while supporting the startup founders in their evolution and development.”

The decision to join the consortium builds on existing ties between Comcast NBCU and the league. 

Peacock and NBC Sports will serve as the exclusive U.S. media home of the Premier League Summer Series — the first ever Premier League-hosted pre-season tournament in the United States — featuring nine live matches across nine days beginning Sat., July 22.

All match and studio coverage of the Premier League Summer Series will stream live on Peacock in the U.S. 

Will McIntosh, president, Fandango & NBC Sports Next noted that in “assessing the next sports partner to bring on board, the Premier League was a standout choice that will provide value to the startups in the accelerator looking to find product market fit in the world of sports. With our broadcasting rights on Sky, Peacock, and NBC Sports, this partnership also creates a shared alignment for building new, more immersive fan experiences.”

Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech was set up to spur innovation in sports technologies. 

As part of that effort it has built a distinct group of experts who advise the accelerator's participants.

These include business leaders from NBC Sports, Sky Sports, GOLF, NBC Sports Next, and Comcast Spectacor, alongside NASCAR, WWE, PGA TOUR and three U.S. Olympic sports organizations: U.S. Ski & Snowboard, USA Swimming, and USA Cycling. 

The Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech focuses on providing opportunities for rising sports technology startups in the fields of media & entertainment; fan/player engagement; athlete/player performance; team & coach success; venue & event innovation; fantasy sports & betting; esports; and the business of sports.

Startups participating in Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech also benefit from an ongoing relationship with the program and its partners. Since the first class in 2021, SportsTech startup alumni have participated in 103 pilots, partnerships, and commercial deals with consortium partners.

The startups selected for the fourth Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech class will be announced in February 2024. Organizations interested in joining as part of the advisory group within SportsTech can visit https://www.comcastsportstech.com/partners. 

NEW YORK—CBS Sports is planning to launch the CBS Sports Golazo Network on April 11, making it the first-of-its-kind free, 24-hour direct-to-consumer digital network in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to global soccer coverage, the network reported.  

CBS said that the CBS Sports Golazo Network will offer coverage of all the top domestic and international soccer competitions across the globe, making it a year-round streaming destination for soccer fans.

At launch, the network will be available free on CBSSports.com, the CBS Sports app for connected TV devices, the CBS Sports mobile app and Pluto TV, as well as Paramount+ as the latest addition to the service’s sports experience.

CBS Sports has rights to more than 2,400 soccer matches a year. 

CBS Sports Golazo Network’s robust 24/7 programming lineup will include select live matches plus match re-airs, leveraging CBS Sports’ collection of top-tier soccer properties, including UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, Serie A, NWSL, Concacaf national team competitions, Barclays Women’s Super League, Campeonato Brasileirão Série A, Scottish Professional Football League, Argentina Liga Profesional de Fútbol and the AFC Champions League.

CBS Sports Golazo Network will be anchored weekdays from 7:00-9:00 AM, ET, by “Morning Footy,” the Network’s flagship morning show.

In addition, the Network will feature live matches, pre- and post-match breakdowns, magazine shows, films from Paramount+’s “Stories From The Beautiful Game” soccer documentary collection and original programming.

“The launch of the CBS Sports Golazo Network demonstrates the continued evolution of our industry-leading soccer coverage as we build on the incredible momentum we have created the past three years delivering authentic, informative, engaging and entertaining content across multiple platforms,” said Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports. “Led by our best-in-class studio shows and announcers, more than 2,400 live soccer matches a year and now a dedicated soccer streaming network, CBS Sports is the ultimate destination for soccer fans.”

“Interest in soccer has never been stronger. By launching a first-of-its-kind streaming network in the U.S. dedicated to soccer globally, CBS Sports Golazo Network provides a tremendous growth opportunity by delivering unprecedented, round-the-clock coverage for passionate soccer fans,” said Jeff Gerttula, executive vice president, digital, of CBS Sports and CBS News and Stations. “CBS Sports Golazo Network capitalizes on our existing soccer rights by building free audiences around CBS Sports and Pluto TV platforms while driving new subscribers and enhancing the sports experience for Paramount+.”

As part of CBS Sports’ UEFA Champions League coverage, CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide an exclusive pre- and post-match show surrounding “Champions League Today”, CBS Sports’ studio show, and offer fans same-day Champions League match re-airs.

MIAMI, Fla.—Hoping to build on the success of its presentation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which saw record audiences, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have inked a multimedia rights agreement that will make Telemundo the new exclusive Spanish-language home of the Women’s and Men’s National Teams across all platforms, including Peacock, in the United States.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

The new agreement will feature more than 20 U.S. National Team matches each year across Telemundo, Universo, Peacock—presented by the digital content brand Tplus—and Telemundo’s digital platforms, consisting of National Team friendlies (including premium U.S. matches against Mexico), the SheBelieves Cup, and other key events involving the Women’s and Men’s National Soccer Teams, such as select CONCACAF Nations League matches.

The deal will include and culminate with coverage of special events and content opportunities during Send-Off matches and leading up to, during and following the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup which will be co-hosted among Canada, Mexico and the United States. 

“Building off the momentum of a historic World Cup 2022, we are proud to partner with the U.S. Soccer Federation and become the new exclusive Spanish-language home of Team USA. The U.S. National Teams will be a cornerstone of our portfolio of premier sports franchises, multiplatform live sports offering and new IP content creation,” said Beau Ferrari, chairman, NBCUniversal Enterprises. “We look forward to together propelling the growth of soccer in the United States and serving our audiences across all platforms, as we build toward the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 and FIFA Men’s World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026.”

“We’re incredibly excited to begin our partnership with Telemundo as we continue to bring the passion of our sport and National Teams to Spanish-speaking audiences,” said U.S. Soccer Federation president, Cindy Parlow Cone. “It’s a special time for soccer in the United States, and Telemundo’s commitment to double-down and amplify the sports growth through their unparalleled portfolio of platforms serves as an incredible foundation of the partnership. With Telemundo as the rights holder of the FIFA World Cup, the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Olympic Games, and the Premier League, there will be prominent opportunities to highlight our players and teams to bring unprecedented access to fans during marquee moments.”

The partnership begins in 2023 with U.S. Women’s international friendly matches against New Zealand today, Jan. 17 and Friday, Jan. 20 airing live at 10:05 p.m. ET on Universo and streaming on Peacock and the Telemundo app.

Marquee matches will follow next week in Los Angeles as the U.S. Men’s team faces Serbia on Wednesday, Jan. 25 on Universo and Colombia on Saturday, Jan. 28 on Telemundo at the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup cycle. 

All matches will stream live on Peacock and the Telemundo app. 

MIAMI—Telemundo continues to report large audiences for its Spanish-language World Cup coverage with new ratings showing that 2022 Semi-Finals Total Audience Delivery on Telemundo and Peacock was up by a whopping 60% over 2018. 

About 4.5 million viewed the Spanish-language coverage of the matches on Telemundo and Peacock vs. 2.8 million in 2018. 

The Semi-Final match between France and Morocco was the 13th game with over 4 million views and the 18th match with a digital average minute audience (AMA) of more than 1 million viewers. 

The match between France and Morocco had a TAG of 4.2 million and a digital AMA of 1.5 million viewers. 

The day two semi-final was up 39% vs. 2018 (Croatia-England, 3.0 million) and up 63% vs. France’s Semi-Final match in 2018 (Day 1 France vs. Belgium, 2.6 million).

BELLEVUE, Wash.—New data from iSpot.tv shows that the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup is delivering large TV ad impressions on linear TV, with more than 8.4 billion TV ad impressions across both the English and Spanish-language airings in the U.S., a 20% increase from the 7.1 billion TV impressions delivered in 2018. 

The World Cup was the third most viewed programming, with 1.89% of all TV ad impressions from Nov. 20-Dec. 11, behind only the NFL and college football, respectively, iSpot.tv reported. 

The surge in viewership on linear can largely be attributed to a hefty increase in viewership on Spanish-language programming on networks Telemundo and Universo.

Other highlights from the iSpot.tv data include: 

• Spanish language network viewership of the World Cup crossed 5 billion ad impressions through 12/11, up from 2.14 billion for all the games in 2018. 
• The World Cup is the top program by share of Spanish-language TV ad impressions from Nov. 20-Dec. 11, at 19.3%.
• For Spanish-language TV ad impressions, the top match day was Nov. 26 – the day of the Mexico vs. Argentina group stage contest.
• The presence of a USA team, absent in the 2018 cup has also buoyed interest in the U.S. The top match day for English-language TV ad impressions for World Cup was Dec. 3 – the day of the USA vs. Netherlands round of 16 game.  
• Viewership for advertising is highest on Saturdays during the day

The above measurement figures are not inclusive of streaming on Tubi, Peacock or other digital channels and look only at linear and traditional VOD viewing trends.

Brazilian broadcaster Globo has launched what’s described as the "world’s first broadcast" of an MPEG-5 LCEVC-enhanced channel during the FIFA World Cup.

MPEG-5 part 2 LCEVC (Low Complexity Enhancement Video Coding) specifies an enhancement layer which can boost the compression efficiency of any existing or future video codec, enabling higher quality at up to 40 per cent lower bitrates.

The Globo trial includes a live broadcast channel that leverages the enhancement layer of LCEVC to convert an existing TV 2.0 signal into a High-Dynamic Range (HDR) 10-bit channel for enabled receivers. Transmission takes place over the existing ISDB-Tb system.

The showcase also features the first end-to-end trial over DASH streaming of an LCEVC-enhanced VVC video, as an example of the capabilities that are developing to support the upcoming TV 3.0 standard, Brazil’s next-generation DTT system that is due to be deployed in 2025.

According to V-Nova, it is the first time these technologies have been used in a complete end-to-end production to provide 4K HDR video with immersive and personalised audio. The system also facilitates the distribution of current and future formats, including 8K resolution, HDR and Next-Generation Audio (NGA) to over-the-air broadcast (OTA) and over-the-top (OTT) streaming platforms, added the company.

Carlos Cosme, innovation specialist at Globo, said: “It is amazing how fast this ecosystem is being formed, with various implementations based on software and hardware. Globo, at the technological forefront, is experimenting for the first time in Brazil the joint operation of the MPEG-5 LCEVC codec with the H.264 codec, all of this is associated with an immersive and personalized acoustic experience.

“In this showcase, the base layer is a 1080i, 8-bit, SDR, BT.709 signal targeting current Brazilian TV sets. Using the information present in the enhancement layer, the LCEVC codec enhances the quality of the base layer and provides a video signal with improved quality, i.e., 1080p, 10-bit, HDR10, and BT.2020,” added Cosme.

“In the second showcase, using the 4K production signal from the World Cup, we demonstrated the joint use of LCEVC with VVC, both technologies chosen by the SBTVD Forum to make up the technology stack of the future 3.0 TV in Brazil. We are very proud to be able to experience first-hand all these technologies operating together.”

The LCEVC live showcase runs during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Nov. 20-Dec. 18.

This article originally appeared on TVB Europe.

BOSTON, Mass.—Nearly half of U.S. sports fans (45%) are planning to watch the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar this month, according to data from consultancy firm, Altman Solon. 

The high-profile event is expected to achieve record-breaking global viewership, and the strong interest among U.S. sports fans comes amid the busy sports and holiday season. The excitement for watching the games is also reflected in solid interest for tuning in for every tournament match and paying to watch the games, the researchers reported. 

''In terms of global audience viewership and buzz, there is no comparable event to the FIFA World Cup,” said Altman Solon partner Mary Ann Halford. “However, with the starting date change, the FIFA World Cup will now compete in the U.S. against the NFL, NBA, and college football for audience engagement. It also arrives in the middle of the holiday advertising season, which could provide benefits for broadcasters and their advertising partners. The survey shows solid U.S. fan interest, but I will be watching to see how the domestic audience performs compared to the 2018 games.''

Altman Solon's FIFA World Cup 2022 Survey surveyed more than 17,000 respondents across 17 countries. Key survey findings include:

• The overall U.S. interest level in the games (45%) is lower than established soccer hotbeds, but the percentage of U.S. fans who said they were “very interested” in the FIFA World Cup, is 28%, ahead of Italy (26%).
• More than a quarter (26%) of U.S. sports fans are willing to pay to watch the FIFA World Cup, which is higher than the U.K. (24%) but lower than Brazil (58%) and UAE (70%).
• 13 percent of U.S. fans plan to watch every game of the FIFA World Cup. While lower than rates in Latin America and UAE, the U.S. interest level is comparable to those in the soccer strongholds of the U.K., France, and Italy.
• 25 percent of U.S. fans plan to watch the FIFA World Cup in public (bar, restaurant, watch party).

More survey data and insights on key trends and developments reshaping the FIFA World Cup for properties, media partners, and investors, is available here. 

NEW YORK—Starting with the Nov. 20 face off between Qatar and Ecuador, FuboTV will stream select FIFA World Cup games from host country Qatar in 4K/HDR, the network announced today.

All 64 matches will originate from Fox Sports and Telemundo, official U.S. broadcasters of the games, which conclude with the championship game on Dec. 18. The English language matches, including the final, will be available in 4K/HDR to subscribers of Fubotv's Ultimate and Elite subscription tiers. Fubo was the first virtual MVPD (vMVPD) to stream in 4K during the Russia 2018 tournament; it’s also carried other sporting events including FS1 and the 2022 Winter Olympics in 4K/HDR. 

(Also read: Fox Sports Ready for 4K/HDR FIFA World Cup)

“With an internally-built tech stack optimized for live sports viewership, Fubo has historically innovated ahead of its vMVPD competitors, which began introducing 4K streams just this year,” the company said in its announcement. 

FuboTV—which is available in the U.S., Canada and Spain, has just under 1 million subscribers in North America. For a full schedule of matches streaming in 4K go here.